Bride of the Ice God
by Queen of GraCy
Summary: All they did was touch hands! But somehow that resulted in Lucy Heartfilia, a mortal girl, becoming the bride to the Ice God, Gray Fullbuster.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be dong for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter One**

 **Sacrifice**

* * *

 **1 1 1**

 _Once upon a time, there was a little village struck a never-ending blizzard. Their crops failed, children died, and lives were thrown into turmoil. Desperate for mercy, the_ _village prayed every day to the Ice God, but still, the village remained forever incased in ice._

 _The villagers approached the shaman for aid. "What shall we do?" they asked in despair. "The ice and cold does not cease!"_

 _"You have angered the Ice God," the shaman replied. "Appease him."_

 _Dread rippled through the people because they knew a sacrifice was necessary to appease the cold-hearted Ice God. However, they were desperate and chose a fair maiden to be the sacrifice. A meeting was held and they chose the most beautiful maiden in the village who was sure to melt the Ice God's heart. The maiden accepted her fate without a word and agreed to become the sacrifice to save her people._

 _This is her story, the story of the Bride of the Ice God._

 **1 1 1**

Her fate was determined the moment her name was said aloud.

"Lucy Heartfilia."

The emptiness of her name resounded through the room and rang through her ears like a never-ended echo. It was her. She was the sacrifice, the chosen one to become the bride of the cold-hearted Ice God, Gray Fullbuster.

The rumors of the Ice God ranged from an ugly, blood-thirsty demon to a beautiful dragon with a fearsome demeanor. Lucy didn't know which one to believe, but she accepted her fate to save her people. She thought she should have protested or rebelled against their judgement, but she didn't.

Lucy nodded her head in submission and let the shaman take her by the hand and lead her to the sacred lake where she would me her fate. She could hear the tears of her mother not to far behind while she could feel her father's troubled gaze on her back.

The shaman began chanting as Lucy precariously stepped into the lake, the hem of her detailed robes soaked. The chanting grew louder in her ears, and she finally saw the magic incantations begin to take effect. The water churned around and rose to her knees and eventually to her stomach until it finally submerged her whole body. The water was cold and quickly hardened into ice. Before Lucy could fear for her life, her whole body was encased in ice.

The villagers watched in a moment of silence before the ice shattered by some divine force. It sparkled in the air, and Lucy's body was no longer there but in the land of the gods.

 **1 1 1**

Lucy could smell the salty sea before she opened her eyes. She flashed her eyes open, remembering everything that just happened. She was in the supernatural world and no longer at home. She struggled to stand, but her soaked robes weren't making it any easier, so she ended up just sitting and what she found was a beach.

"Are you okay?" an amused chuckled sounded beside her.

The voice surprised her as she hadn't expected anybody to be near. She whipped around instantly and felt her cheeks grow hot. An insanely gorgeous man what looked to be around her age stood beside her, his fingers digging into the grainy sand. His eyes were a deep midnight blue and his raven locks were tousled by the sea breeze. He had a mysterious aura, but his smirk killed her.

"Who-Who are you?" Lucy demanded, scurrying backwards away from the stranger.

He couldn't be a god. He was too handsome. Gods were supposedly demonic looking or in the form of some majestic beast, and this guy was the furthest thing from both.

His eyes narrowed. "You're a mortal, aren't you?"

Lucy tried forming words but was left fumbling.

"A mortal isn't worth my time."

She swallowed hard, hot anger building slowly building within her. She felt herself glare. "Fine," she gritted out. She tried standing up and almost lost her balance. "I'm looking for the Ice God, so if you could just point to a direction that would be great."

He stared at her intently. "What business do you have with the Ice God? He's a busy man, you know."

"Obviously so busy he can't find the time to unfreeze my village," Lucy replied heatedly, her temper flaring. "What kind of Ice God is he anyway?"

The man turned and faced me. His expression was unreadable. "You're a sacrifice," he stated more than questioned.

"Yeah...that's me."

He sighed irritably. "I keep telling those damn mortals..." he muttered under his breath. "Follow me."

"Wait a second!" Lucy stopped. "Just who are you?"

"Doesn't matter. Just follow if you want to go home."

The two walked off the beach and approached a small, tidy village with a beautiful looming palace in the background. Lucy swallowed, realizing the palace was probably where the Ice God resided.

Lucy followed the stranger she just met through the village until they came upon a cute looking cottage. He knocked on the door, and it was immediately opened by a beautiful brunette wearing silken robes with tattooed grapevines around her left arm. She looked like she belonged in a palace, not in a cottage. She glanced at me with cool, purple eyes and then flicked them to the man beside her.

"My Lord," she greeted.

Lucy couldn't help but raise a brow. Was this man royalty or something?

"They sent another sacrifice," he explained. "I need you to send her back."

The woman sighed in annoyance. "That takes time you know. This can't be solved in just a few minutes."

"I told the mortals to stop sending sacrifices, and I'd like her to be gone by the time of the banquet," he said. "I know you can do a rush job, Cana."

Cana paused, her eyes once again flickering towards Lucy before finally conceding. "All right, but you own me.

The man turned to leave, but Lucy wanted to thank him.

"Wait!"

She reached out and grabbed his hand. He turned around in surprise. At that moment, a bright light illuminated from their hands. A burning sensation shot through her arm before it settled on her hand. Lucy tried to yank her hand back, but it was like it was chained to his for whatever reason.

"What's happening?!" Lucy yelled over the chaos. She saw the man's face, and it was a look of pure shock and disbelief.

The light died down, and Lucy was finally able to retrieve her hand and cradled it to her chest. Confused, she lifted it up and saw a crescent moon inked on the back of her hand. It glowed faintly, still slightly burning.

"Cana," the man growled. "Don't tell me I just bonded with her."

Said woman's mouth was agape. "It's rare for this to happen with a mortal, but...you did..." she trailed off in amazement.

"Bonded?" Lucy asked weakly. She didn't know what that meant and didn't really want to know. All she desperately wanted was to go home.

The man shook his head. "No, not possible. "I'll have to speak with Levy or Natsu about this. This can't be." He looked up from his hand to Ino. "Take her to the palace and hand her to Lisanna's care. I'll deal with her later."

Cana nodded and the man she just met walked away. Lucy was about to yell after him, but in the blink of an eye, he disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves. Bewildered, Lucy turned to Cana.

"What just happened?"

Cana rolled her eyes. "Mortal take such a long time to adjust." She sighed. "Look, I'm Cana Alberona, resident Goddess of Wine of Fiore."

"Fiore?" Lucy echoed. So that was the name of this place, the realm of the gods, Fiore.

"You don't have to repeat me, you know."

"What's bonding?" Lucy finally asked.

She grinned. "Bonding is a supernatural tie between two beings. It makes them more attuned to each other's emotions, thoughts and such. It's activated: I guess you can say, by hand contact. However, bonding is totally spontaneous, it can happen before or after any romantic attraction. Bonding marks you as his bride."

"I-I'm his bride?" Lucy's voice cracked. "I don't even know who he is. I just came here to talk to the Ice God and try to convince h-"

"You really have no idea who that man was?" Cana asked incredulously.

Lucy bit her lip.

"That was Gray Fullbuster."

Recognition dawned on Lucy, and she felt her jaw drop. "You mean I bonded with-"

Cana nodded. "You bonded with the Ice God." She lifted up my hand, pointing to the crescent moon. "And this marks you as his bride."

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Two**

 **Hello There...**

* * *

 **2 2 2**

Lucy's thoughts were jumbled and incoherent as the Wine Goddess led her to the palace. The blonde wondered how in the world she got stuck in this mess. She looked down at her marked hand in trepidation.

"We're here," Cana announced.

Lucy's eyes traveled to where Cana was pointing and her eyes widened. A tall, crystalline palace lay in front of glacial mountains. The entrance contained a wide gate with two women standing guard with white face masks.

"Wow," Lucy murmured. "Am I...staying here?" she asked hesitantly.

Cana nodded. "As will I. I usually prefer to reside in the cottage I have, but I have a room in the place too." She shrugged. "Many gods and goddesses visit each other's palaces. It's very common. The God of Fire and Goddess of Knowledge currently reside here too. I think the God of Thunder also came earlier today. I'm not sure if he left yet or not."

Lucy only stared at her blankly. She felt Cana roll her eyes at her and was eventually pulled along beside the goddess. They approached the gate and immediately the two female guards approached them. They wore ice blue kimonos and masks that concealed their appearances. Upon closer inspection, Lucy realized the mask wasn't blank but was in the form of some animal. She shivered in realization.

"Lady Cana, we didn't realize you'd be back so soon," one said.

"Lord Gray put myself in charge of the banquet," Cana explained. "Speaking of him, we ran into a complication." She gestured over at Lucy.

Their heads whipped into the blonde's direction. Said girl could only manage a weak smile.

"She's a mortal," they hissed venomously. "Mortals are not permitted within the Ice Palace."

Cana glared and grabbed Lucy hand and lifted it. "Look," she commanded.

Their eyes fell upon the mark of the crescent moon, and one of them breathed in sharply. They stood aside and opened the gates to the palace with a firm nod.

"Please proceed, Lady Cana. We apologize for our rudeness."

"Sorry about that," Cana said as they walked in. "There's a bit of prejudice towards mortals, as you can see. The handmaidens are worse about it."

"And you?" Lucy found herself asking. "You don't have a problem with me being a mortal?"

She shook her head. "Gods no. Granted humans can be stupid but so can immortals, right?"

With that, Cana walked ahead of Lucy and continued on approached the double doors of the palace. Lucy hurried to keep up with her and was soon inside the large, crystalline palace. It was almost blinding being inside the palace. bright chandeliers lit up the foyer, and the marble floor glistened in the light. There was a large spiral staircase, which led up to many levels of the palace, and Lucy had to crane her neck upwards to try and see where the floors stopped.

"Stop gawking, will you?" Cana shook her head.

"How old are you?" Lucy blurted out, no longer able to contain her curiosity.

While the Wine Goddess looked her age, she was an immortal, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder how long Cana has been around.

"I'm 243 years old," Cana answered flatly. "Satisfied?"

Lucy nodded meekly.

Cana turned toward the staircase. "Lisanna!" she called.

Almost immediately, a woman came running down the staircase to meet Cana. She was cute and looked about my age and had short white hair and crystal blue eyes. She wore identical robes to the guards outside, but in addition to her ice blue robes was a silver sash around her waist. She bowed to Cana and then turned to Lucy and bowed just as deep.

"Welcome," she greeted.

Cana pushed her back up. "Oh, come one, Lisanna! You know you don't have to do that crap around me!" she complained.

Lisanna sheepishly laughed and scratched the back of her head. "But there's someone else in our presence..." she trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

Lucy smiled and gave a slight bow. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

Lisanna smiled brightly in return. "Lady Lucy, you are very pretty indeed," she complimented. Her voice suddenly lowered. "Are you a sacrifice?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes, well, I suppose I was, but..."

"Lord Gray does not accept sacrifices," Lisanna cut in, puzzled. "Your village must be desperate to resort to this; however, Lord Gray has been in a foul mood lately."

Cana waved her hand. "Yes, but things have changed. Lucy's bound to Gray now, and he told me to put her in your care."

Lisanna eyes widened in surprise. "I would be honored to care for the Bride of the Ice God."

Lucy held up her hands defensively. "Wait, hold up. I never agreed to becoming his bride," she protested.

Lisanna became confused. "But the fates have ordained that you and Lord Gray be together."

The blond shook her head. "No, I don't even know him." She was confused herself. "I just met him."

Cana sighed. "Lucy, you'll be staying here. So at least go along with this. We'll provide you food and shelter. We're not planning to dice and eat you up, okay? You're lucky you're even bonded! Lisanna over here is having trouble bonding to the man she lov-"

Lisanna clasped a hand over Cana's rambling mouth. "Forget what she said," she smiled weakly. "She didn't say anything!" She let out a weak laugh and pulled Lucy by the arm. "Here, I'll show you to your room, yes?"

She pulled me up the plush carpeted stairs and went along so fast that we were up the stairs in a matter of minutes. She started walking briskly but turned to me. "I didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Lisanna Strauss, head handmaiden at the Ice Palace. I'm in charge of taking care of all that goes around here. Visitors are my specialty."

Lucy nodded and wondered, "Do you think...you could possible help clear this 'bonding' thing that happened?"

Lisanna shook her head and laughed. "Unfortunately, I'm not an expert in that. You'll have to ask Cana or Lady Levy about that later. Oh!"

She stopped all of a sudden, and Lucy turned to see why she had paused. A handsome pink-haired man was approaching them with a bright smile. He had onyx eyes that lit up like coal, and a strong jawline. His aura was a big contrast to Gray's. It was lighter, happier, less broody.

Lisanna gracefully curtsied, a light blush on her cheeks. "I wasn't aware you were about, Lord Natsu. I apologize that I wasn't-"

He grinned. "Hey Lisanna. It's fine. I was just going out for a quick breather." His onyx eyes landed on Lucy. "By the way, who's this lady?"

"That is Lady Lucy. She's Gray's bride."

Natsu eyes widened. "Bride?!" He then guffawed. "You're kidding me. That heartless bastard finally bonded to somebody and a mortal no less."

Lucy sighed. She was tired of being referred to as this jerk's bride and also as a "mortal," like she were some sort of specimen.

"Lucy Heartfilia, at your service," she curtsied as well.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, also known as the hottest god around because I'm the Fire God!" He seemed to chuckle at his own cheesy joke, and Lucy couldn't help but uncomfortably smile in his attempt to crack a joke. As expected, an awkward silence ensued before he finally cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, uh, I'll let you guys go. See you around."

Natsu brushed by Lisanna, and if Lucy blinked, she would've missed it, but she didn't. Natsu had slipped a note inside of Lisanna's hand as he walked away. It piqued Lucy's interest, but it was none of her business. However, she couldn't help but smile smugly when she noticed Lisanna trying to act nonchalant, but her cheeks were a tomato red.

"I-I'll show you to your room," she finally stuttered out, moving along.

Lucy nodded and followed, still curious about the nature of Natsu and Lisanna's relationship.

Lisanna pulled out a key and went to a room at the end of a hallway and inserted it, letting the door swing open. Lucy was about to walk in when she noticed Lisanna still lingering outside. She seemed to notice her hesitation.

"Oh! Pardon me, but I'm not allowed to be inside the guest's quarter," she explained. "So just make yourself comfortable, and if you need anything, just call for me."

She gently ushered Lucy inside and then closed the door, leaving the blonde inside the big room all by herself. Not that Lucy really minded. She was relishing the peace and quiet after being transported to the supernatural world. She swiveled around, and sure enough, her room was grand enough for a goddess, which was probably the point. It wasn't meant for a mortal.

The thought bitterly settled in her stomach. She was homesick all of a sudden.

Beyond frustrated at her predicament, Lucy collapsed on the sheets. She knew she was going to be hear for a long time, and if she was already homesick then she didn't know what she'd feel in the time to come. She'd learn how to deal with it. She supposed she should be freaking out more, but what good would that do?

"Um, am I interrupting something?" a voice asked.

Lucy squeaked in surprise and bolted upright, realizing there was someone else in her room. She blinked, taking note of the person before her. A young man a bit older than herself sat languidly on her window sill with a somewhat bored expression. His hair was a spiky blonde, and a scar bearing resemblance to a lightning bolt was settled over his right eye. He wore gray robes, almost resembling dark thunderclouds, and it was tied by a white or silver sash. She couldn't tell.

He raised a brow. "Oi, how can so much noise come out of a little mortal?"

Lucy felt her eye twitch as she heard "mortal" again. It was starting to piss her off, and she couldn't help but wonder if gods and goddesses had some kind of six sense to sniff out humans.

She glared at him. "What are you doing here? How'd you even get in?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm a god. That kind of allows me to do anything," he responded arrogantly. "Besides," he shrugged, "I just wanted to see what the whole place was buzzing about. The new Bride of the Ice God." His stormy grey eyes focused on her, and Lucy couldn't help but feel small under his gaze.

The god dropped onto the floor with grace and extended a hand. "Laxus Dreyar, God of Thunder."

Lucy blinked, wary, as he stared at her expectantly. "Am I...supposed to curtsy or something?"

Laxus closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, as if her very presence was causing him a headache. "You've got a lot to learn around here," he muttered. "Guess I'll take it upon myself and help the needy mortal. It's something to lift the boredom."

"Hey!" Lucy protested. "I'm not needy. You make it sound like I'm a fish flailing around out of water."

He nodded. "Exactly. So let me or Levy answer your questions. You don't object to that, do you?"

Lucy was about to retort but faltered because the Thunder God had a point. Her brows suddenly scrunched down in confusion because he mentioned another name. Which meant...that there was another person in the room? Lucy immediately scanned her eyes around everywhere until they landed on a small blue-haired woman reading in the corner, completely oblivious to the world.

"Levy," Laxus called. "Levy!"

"Huh, what? Oh!" Levy beamed at her. "Hi there!"

"Um, hello?" Lucy responded.

"I'm Levy Redfox, Goddess of Knowledge! I'm here to answer any questions you have!" She rambled on. "I know big, scary Laxus here probably said he could too, but I'm much better at answering questions since I pretty much know everything."

Laxus scoffed in the background, rolling his eyes.

"All right," Lucy began slowly. "What is bonding? How come it happened to me?"

Levy nodded. "Bonding is a natural process in the supernatural world. It decides who we mate with and such. Bonding is a process of fate that tells us who our, well for lack of a better word, soulmate is." She made a face at the corny word. "Anyways, bonding only happens to two specific people. From the moment you arrived here, Fate decided you be bonded with Gray. So, say if you touched Laxus' hand, nothing would've happened. Another thing, bonding can happen whenever to the couple. It can happen when you first meet, like you and Gray, or it can happen after marriage, after your first kiss, or after you have sex. It's spontaneous really. Make sense?"

Lucy nodded albeit still slightly confused. "Yes, thank you. But...what does bonding do to the people who are bound together?"

"Well, it makes you more attuned to each other's presence," Levy said. "It's like a sixth sense but only with your partner. You are more sensitive to their emotions, their thoughts, and their pain. Bonding connects the mind together. However, because you and Gray just met, the bond isn't as strong as say – a couple who have been bonded for decades.

Lucy absorbed all the information, but then another thought occurred to her. Cana had said there was prejudice against mortals. "Isn't that bad though? For him to bond to a mortal?"

Levy was about to respond before Laxus cut in. "Yes, mortals aren't welcome in Fiore. Mortals have a bad name around. Where it originate from, I'm not completely sure, but it's frowned upon to be bonded with a mortal or even to befriend one."

"That's why Gray might have been eager to get you out of here," Levy added with a slight glare at Laxus for stealing her thunder.

Lucy bit her lip. Her pride as a human stung a bit. "Well, I'm not exactly happy to be here either. Lady Cana said I could be home in a few days."

Laxus snickered. "Nope."

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean 'nope'?" her voice rising anxiously.

"Well," Levy began gently, "since the two of you are bonded, that changes everything. Gray can't send you back. You're stuck in Fiore."

"Permanently?" Lucy squeaked.

"Pretty much, yeah," Laxus said with a shrug.

"Don't worry, Lucy! You'll grow to like it here!" Levy encouraged.

Lucy's heart nearly gave away as she fell back onto the pillows. She couldn't really begin to process that she was supposed to be here forever, so she decided not to think about it. Lucy began to pray fervently when she realized the reason she was stuck in this predicament was because of the gods. She hit herself in the forehead and suppressed a groan. She could feel Laxus' odd gaze on her.

"Damn mortals..." he muttered.

"Laxus, be nice!" Levy scolded.

A soft knock at Lucy door brought her from the brink of her downfall to insanity.

"It's Lisanna," Levy informed.

"Lady Lucy," said girl's voice chimed. "Lord Gray is now ready to see you!"

Lucy paled. _Oh god._

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Oh My God...**

* * *

 **3 3 3**

Laxus smirked. "Guess that's my cue to leave."

"See you later, Lucy," Levy waved.

Before Lucy could even mutter a word, they left in a blink of an eye. She didn't blink though. They were there, and then they weren't. She felt the sudden urge to throw up.

The door opened to reveal a smiling Lisanna with a beaming pile of clothes in her arms. "Ready to dazzle Lord Gray, Lady Lucy."

Lucy sighed in defeat.

Lisanna frowned slightly. "Lady Lucy, this is an important event," she reprimanded. "I need to get you ready or Lord Gray will be rather cross. This isn't to be taken lightly." She gently began to prod Lucy and untie the obi and peel her wet kimono. "Now take this," she handed the dry kimono, "and change."

Lucy considering rebelling against her orders, but she relented and got to what looked like a changing room. She opened it only to be blinded by a rainbow. Bright robes and kimonos were lined neatly and along the walls. The floors, walls, and ceiling were also a bright white that it contributed to Lucy's momentary blindness.

"Wow," Lucy awed.

She didn't have much time to think about it and began changing. She folded her wet and dirty clothes neatly and placed them in an unoccupied corner. She then lifted up the kimono she was handed by Lisanna. The pastel pink and silver white were definitely pretty, but there were so many strings here and there! She nearly panicked when she remembered Lisanna was just outside.

"Uh, Lisanna?" she called out hesitantly.

The handmaiden responded immediately, flitting gracefully to Lucy's side. "I'm guessing you need help with that?" she laughed at her puzzled expression. "Here..."

Lucy stood still while Lisanna tied everything into place. "Don't worry," Lisanna said. "It used to take me forever to get dressed, but I got better. Practice makes perfect after all."

While she was standing there, Lucy remembered the interaction Lisanna had with the Fire God. She felt a little mischievous, so she had a little smug smile on her face when she asked, "So who exactly is Lord Natsu?"

Lisanna's hand slipped. "Ah, well, he's the Fire God of course!" There was a slight blush on her cheeks, but she was managing to keep an even tone very well. "He's a very kind man and is best friends with Lord Gray, although they're not ones to admit that."

Lucy hummed, nodding. She decided to change topics. "I'm curious. Is Levy or Laxus bonded to anyone?"

"Well, it really isn't my place to say anything," Lisanna responded. "I'm only a lowly maid after all. But..."

Lucy's eyebrows rose. "But?"

"Levy is bound to the God of Iron, Gajeel Redfox. As for Laxus, well," she paused. "He's bonded to my sister, Mira, the Goddess of Death."

The blonde's eyes widened. "Your sister's a goddess? How does that work?"

"Well, she was head handmaiden before me, but then was bonded to Laxus, so her status became elevated."

"I see..." Lucy swallowed. "Am I...ready?"

Lisanna shook her head. "Heavens no! You're still a mess! You're hairs wet and your face is grimy," she explained. She held Lucy's chin between her fingers. "You're barely ready at all! We don't have much time! I'll use some magic."

"M-Magic?!" Lucy sputtered. At this point she shouldn't really have been surprised, but it was still hard to think that anything like magic or gods and goddesses were possible.

Lisanna closed her eyes, and an indent formed around her eyebrows and nose as she concentrated. Lisanna's eyes flashed open while Lucy blinked. At that moment, the air around Lucy shuddered and suddenly twirled around her face, hair, and body. The warm air rested over hear before completely disappearing with the moisture. Lisanna nodded in satisfaction.

"Now, you're ready." She smiled. "You're really very pretty!"

Lucy blushed, smiling as well. "Thank you, you too."

Lisanna directed her towards a full body mirror. And that was when Lucy saw what her magic had done. Her hair had gone from wet strands to soft waves, and her face was cleared of sand was now radiant. Lucy couldn't help but poke her cheek to check if she was dreaming and if any of this was real.

Lisanna giggled. "Lady Lucy, rest assured, this is very real."

"Wow, what exactly did you do?" Lucy asked, awed and amazed.

"Magic," the white-haired girl responded simply. "It's really only a simple manipulation of the elements. That was child's play."

"Can everybody do that?" Lucy asked in wonder.

"Well..." Lisanna began in thought. "Everyone uses magic in different ways and forms. There's really no limit to what one can or cannot do. However, because I'm a handmaiden, I have very limited amount of things I can, but I must say, my family specifically is very good at shifting."

"Shifting?"

"Yes, shifting is a rare form magic and takes years to master, and by years, decades or centuries. That's why not many bother with it at all. Specifically, shifting is when one is able to immerse their entire body and mutate their cells to shift into anything they want. A lot of inhabitants in the supernatural world don't attempt this because the inexperienced often encounter unfortunate accidents," Lisanna explained. "Of course, gods and goddesses have their symbolic animal they can easily morph into, but that's nothing compared to shifting." The handmaiden managed to stop herself. "Well, that's enough about the supernatural world. I need to bring you to Lord Gray."

Lucy couldn't help but frown slightly. She really didn't want to meet that jerk again but then again she did.

Lisanna tugged on her hand. "Let's go!"

Lucy nodded and followed in Lisanna's footsteps as she strode out of her room and back to the main spiraling staircase. The blonde struggled to keep up with the white-haired girl's nimble movements because of the restrictions of her kimono and the new shoes she wasn't yet comfortable with yet. They traveled up a few more flights until they reached a floor that was black in every aspect. Black tiled floors, painted black walls with dark gray painting hanging under dim lights. There was only one set of doors that were also an obsidian black hue. However, the odd thing was the two sphinxes sitting casually at the sides of the doors. Lucy approached cautiously while Lisanna seemed unfazed by their presence.

The sphinxes perked up at their appearance. One grinned with sharp teeth. "So this is the girl? Why, she's a fine pearl! Please give us a twirl!"

Lisanna curtsied. "Yes, this is Lady Lucy. Lord Gray has requested her presence at once."

"Not too quick! Answer the trick!" they hissed simultaneously.

Lisanna's frown deepened. "Always hate this," she muttered under her breath.

The glee was evident on the sphinxes' faces.

 _"Four men sat down to play,_

 _They played all night 'til break of day._

 _They played for gold and not for fun_

 _With separate scores for everyone._

 _When they came to square accounts,_

 _They all had made quite fair amounts._

 _Can you, the paradox, explain?_

 _If no one lost, how could all gain?_

Lucy now understood exactly what these sphinxes were for. They were the doorkeepers and guardians to Gray, er, Lord Gray's chambers or throne room. The riddles presented must be solves to be able to pass through. Lucy smirked as the answer came easily to her. Her father would often give a riddle to her mother and herself. The one who answered first would win. At first her mother would always win, but then it came to the point where they'd mostly ties or go back and forth.

"Music," she answered. "They were playing music. They say down to play their instruments, and the separate scores were the music scores. They couldn't lose any money because they weren't gambling."

The sphinxes' eyes lit up. "Well done, well done. Another one?"

Lisanna shook her head. "She answered the riddle! That grants us passage!" she protested.

The sphinxes frowned. "Very well. Time will tell. 'Til we meet again, my belle."

The last sentence was muttered so quietly as they moved out of the way and hopped onto their pedestal becoming still as stone once again. The door opened with creak to only lead to another hallway. Lucy couldn't really tell because it was pitch black, but once they stepped foot into it the hallway illuminated itself. They traveled though the hallway and came upon another set of double doors.

Lisanna knocked. "Lord Gray, it's Lisanna. I brought Lady Lucy."

"Come in," his low voice reverberated through the entire passageway sending tingles down Lucy's spine.

"Gray!" a female voice scolded. "You didn't tell me she was coming! How could you?!

He sighed in exasperation. "I didn't expect you to be here. You were supposed to be at the Emperor's palace."

Lisanna stiffened and turned to me. "Do not anger the woman in this room. Understand?" she whispered quietly.

Lucy swallowed and nodded.

Lisanna pushed the door open, and bright light once again flooded Lucy's vision as they stepped into the room. There were shelves of books lined across the walls and painting canvases set up everywhere. Some had been left there to dry while others had but a single stroke of color. The floor was scarlet with gold edges. A modest chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Lucy finally noticed Gray standing there with an expression of frustration and interest. He wore the same from earlier but this time with a black cloak over his shoulders. She immediately felt self-conscious and tried to stand up straighter. She then noted the female standing next to him. She was a short elegant woman with dark brown hair piled on top of her head in an intricate bun. Her robes are a majestic emerald and mint green, and she carried herself confidently. She stared at me with interested dark blue eyes and her full lips were pursed together, her expression unreadable.

Lisanna broke the silence with her trademark curtsy. "M'lady, I did not expect your presence here. I trust your trip was pleasant.?" she inquired pleasantly.

The lady smiled radiantly. "Yes, of course it was! Thank you, Lisanna, but who is this lovely mortal before us?" her head cocked to the side as she stared at Lucy.

Lucy gulped and stiffly curtsied. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, m'lady."

There was a brief silence and tension in the air, but it was all broken as the lady grinned her eyes lighting up.

"You're perfect!" she exclaimed and rushed forward to examine her. She held a tendril of my hair and admired it. "Very beautiful hair," she murmured. She then encircled my waist with her hands. "A slim waist."

Lucy couldn't help but blush as she did so. She briefly saw Gray redden and wondered if it was from anger or embarrassment. The woman took no notice and continued on.

"Yes, yes, very perfect indeed!" she said sweetly. "My son is so fortunate to have you!"

She choked. "Y-Your son?" Lucy turned to Gray, bewildered. "She's your mother?"

Gray sighed and nodded. "Unfortunately."

The lady pouted and turned to Gray. "Watch your mouth, young man!"

Lucy shot a smirk at him to which he responded with a scathing glare. His mother turned back to her with a bright smile.

"But yes, I am that ungrateful child's mother." She touched her face in worry. "Heavens, I don't look very old, do I?"

"Oh, no, not at all!" Lucy shook her head. "In fact, I mistook you to be a lot younger."

This was true. Lucy would've never have guessed that this woman was Gray's mother. Her skin was smooth and taut and her hair was lustrous and thick. The only giveaway to her real age was her eyes, which, now that she thought about, were the exact same as Gray's. Her eyes were aged with experience of life and wisdom.

She gushed. "That's very kind of you! Gods, I haven't properly introduced myself! I'm Mika Fullbuster, Goddess of Agriculture, but do call me mother!"

Gray frowned. "Mom, we're not even married, and...she's a mortal."

"Gray!" his mother reprimanded him sharply. "I did not raise you to be a prejudiced ignorant!"

Lucy glared at the Ice God and then turned her attention back to Mika. "Well, if you insist, mother," she replied sweetly. She took pleasure in Gray's face turning a shade of red darker. She bit her lip to stop herself from snickering.

Mika's eyes lit with satisfaction. "That sounds so perfect! I've always wanted a daughter, you see, but I got this boy and his father.

"And now you brought that bastard up as well..." Gray muttered darkly.

Mika ignored her son. "Anyways, I would love to get to know you more. Well, you will be here for the rest of eternity, so I suggest you make yourself comfortable," she announced cheerily.

Lucy paled. "I-I thought Gray, er Cana, was going to send me back as soon as possible?" she asked weekly, feeling a bit nauseous at the thought of forever and eternity.

She shook her head. "Nonsense! I won't turn you away. Fate has decreed you and Gray be together. That means you will." She nodded firmly. "In fact, I have arranged for your things to be put in Gray's room. I think it'll be good for you and Gray to spend time with each other."

"Huh?" Lucy squeaked. "Like, sleeping together?" Her face became a scarlet red as she thought about it. "But, we just met? Don't you think that's a bit hasty?"

Gray also tried to protest. "Mom, you didn't discuss any of this," he groused.

"Calm down you too!" Mika laughed. "I'm not demanding that you have sex, well, right away or anything." She winked at Lucy, and the blonde froze. "What I'm saying is you two should be within the same room to become better acquainted."

Lucy slightly calmed down, feeling a little better after that explanation. "Okay, I suppose that's fine," Lucy mumbled, nodding. "So will they set up a futon for me or something?"

Mika chuckled. "Don't be silly, dear. Of course you'll be sleeping in the same bed. That's tradition for the bonded," she explained as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

It wasn't though. Not in the least. Sleeping with Gray Fullbuster, the God of Ice, the first day she met him was far from the most logical thing to do.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Oh Lordy**

* * *

 **4 4 4**

After that awkward moment, Lucy proceeded to try and avoid Gray for the rest of the day, which proved to be a lot easier than she thought it would. The palace was grand and had many floors which made it easy for her to hide from the angry Ice God. Lisanna accompanied her throughout her one-sided game of hide-and-seek. She flitted around Lucy, occasionally telling her not to enter a passageway here or a hallway there and then proceeded to safely guide the stressed blonde down the confusing flights of stairs.

At one point while meandering throughout the seventeenth floor, Lucy asked, "Who exactly is Mika Fullbuster?"

Lisanna answered almost too eagerly. The thing was, Lisanna was rather shy at first but warmed up to Lucy almost instantly. She was very excited to show the blonde around and explain the workings of the supernatural world, which Lucy was extremely grateful.

"Oh, well, she's one of the most powerful goddesses of the land and one of the most revered. Her emotions are tied in with the seasons."

"Wow," Lucy said. "What about your sister? What's she like?"

Lisanna smiled proudly. "My sister is the most feared goddess of the land, believe it or not. While she can be kind and gentle, she can also be a little ruthless."

Lucy shivered. "Are you serious?"

"Just because she is the Goddess of Death doesn't mean she had to be cruel. Rather, she has to be kind and merciful for those who have outlived their life. She has to have a heart to send people to their afterlives."

Lucy nodded. It made sense. But what didn't really make sense was the relationship she just witnessed first-hand.

"Gray doesn't seem to have a very good relationship with his mother, does he?" she frowned slightly. "At least that's what it looks like..."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Lisanna gave a wry smile. "In truth, they are very close to one another. They just do not like to show it publicly. Or, rather Lord Gray doesn't like to show it. He's very fond of his mother." She paused. "They just...have different views on mortals."

"Clearly," Lucy said.

"It's not that Lord Gray hates mortals..." Lisanna warily looked around and lowered her voice. "His father affiliated with a mortal centuries ago and was cast out of society for it. It cast shame upon the Fullbuster name."

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Lucy asked. "To bear the sins of his father?"

Lisanna gave a nod. "But do you see why Lord Gray is so hesitant about his bonding?"

Lucy felt a pang of guilt, realizing just what kind of situation the icy god had to deal with. She felt the need to apologize for her words and her actions and probably bow down and ask for forgiveness. She gave a slight grimace at the thought.

It was silent as she and Lisanna continued walking through the halls. They eventually made it outside to the garden, and Lucy was amazed by the sheer beauty of all the flowers made of ice, as well as the hanging gardens in the sky. It wasn't long until the moon kissed her skin and beautifully illuminated the garden.

"Lady Lucy, it's time we go back," Lisanna urged gently.

"Ah, so it is."

The time she dreaded. Bedtime.

Lucy was slowly dying on the inside. She was going to sleep next to a guy that despised her very being. Her thoughts paused, recounting the conversation she had with Lisanna earlier. Okay, maybe not despise, but would rather send her back to her homeland than deal with her presence. Not that she didn't mind. The last place she wasn't to be was here, but she couldn't go home. Not anymore. Instead, her place was in a god's bed.

Lucy suppressed her bubbling anger at the thought. It was so belittling. To be in such a circumstance and not able to do a single thing to help herself. She was literally in the hands of the gods now.

Lisanna guided her to the baths and set her in a relaxing hot spring with the views of the skies above. Lucy wanted to stay, but time flew. It was time.

The baths did nothing to relax Lucy. She was tense, noticeably so that Lisanna gave her some herbal tea.

"Drink all of it," Lisanna said.

Lucy nodded and tried to down the hot tea, but the taste was so bitter that she almost choked but swallowed all of it nonetheless.

She coughed. "What's it supposed to do?"

Lisanna took the tea cup from her. "It's supposed to help relax your muscles. It's called Nemeru. You'll feel the effects soon enough."

Lucy blinked a couple of times, feeling no difference. "I hope so."

The white-haired hand maiden dressed her in lighter robes that were probably supposed to be some type of nightwear or whatnot. She rushed the blonde along until they came upon Gray's quarters.

Lucy gulped.

Lisanna placed a hand on her back. "It'll be all right," she smiled. "Really, Lord Gray isn't that bad at all. Now go on!"

Lucy turned around to say something, but her eyes widened when Lisanna was no longer there. The blonde sighed, shoulder slumping in defeat. She stared at the large doors leading to the Ice God's chambers and with a final breath, she slowly opened the doors and stepped inside.

It was a wide circular room with smooth walls and marble floors. Bright lamps hung from the ceiling and torched guarded the double doors. There was a huge king-sized bed with satin sheets. Lucy almost fainted when her eyes landed on the bed and realized that this was indeed happening.

"So you're here," a deep voice sounded behind me.

Lucy tensed and instinctively elbowed whoever was behind her. She whirled around with her arm raised about to hit the mystery man when they quickly caught her wrist.

"What the hell are you doing?" the voice asked, unamused.

Surprised, Lucy looked up only to see Gray. She let out a sigh of relief, but it was quickly replaced with dread. She dropped her raised arms and glared at the icy man. "Was that really necessary?"

"What?"

"You didn't have to sneak up on me!"

Gray blinked before raised a brow with a smirk. "Maybe you need to be a little more aware of your surroundings. I've been here for a while. You were too busy staring at the bed."

Lucy blushed. "It's not what it looks like!" she protested defensively. "It's not like I want to sleep with you or anything."

"But you have too."

"I know," the blonde deflated. "Since we're doing this, I would just like to say that I'll take the right side of the bed. Not that it really matters..." she trailed off, realizing just how large the bed was.

Gray shrugged. "Fine by me."

It wasn't long until Lucy slid between the smooth sheets on the extreme edge of the bed. Gray joined her, having snapped his fingers to turn off the lights. He easily turned over, his back facing her, and was comfortably on the other extreme side of the bed. The awkward gap between them, as well as the mysterious herbal tea Lisanna gave her, did nothing to quell her nerves. And so she fidgeted and moved around every so often to find a decent comfortable position.

"Are you serious?" Gray muttered irately under his breath, turning toward her. "Why...are you so twitchy?"

"Sorry for disturbing your beauty sleep, but unlike you, this isn't my home," Lucy stated dryly.

He brushed off her icy comment. "Do I need to get Lisanna to get you some Nemeru?"

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch. "I just had some..."

He rose a brow. "Are you sure? Nemeru makes a mortal's bones feel like jelly. You should be feeling calm right now..."

Lucy blinked, the Ice God's gaze scrutinizing her as if she were some sort of specimen. She scowled, slightly irritated because it seemed he was actually mulling it over.

"I'm sure," she said acrimoniously. "It's not like I've been moving non-stop for the past hour or so."

"Whatever," he grumbled tiredly. "Just...try and keep still."

'Keep still?" Lucy mumbled mockingly under her breath. "Stupid Ice God..."

The blonde really did try to stop moving around, but she couldn't and the sheets, of course, rustled loudly every so often as she moved around. She was having a hard time getting comfortable. She froze when Gray let out a low, frustrated growl. She heard him shift and move, and then suddenly, warm arms encircled her waist and pulled her to his chest.

"Eh?!" She flinched at his touch. She was pretty sure she was red in the face as well, and she thanked the gods that it was dark.

His hold tightened, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. It's actually felt...relaxing.

"If you can't make yourself stop, then this should help," Gray's chest vibrated with his low, deep voice.

"B-B-But–"

He bent down so that his chin was near her forehead. "This doesn't mean anything," he reminded with a nonchalant yawn.

"Right," Lucy nodded, finally able to find her voice. "Nothing at all. Mutually beneficial," she replied with a yawn of her own. She let out a long sigh, her taut body starting to relax and her eyes starting to droop like heavy lead. "Night," she mumbled into the darkness.

 **4 4 4**

In the morning, Lucy woke up better than she had ever felt before...and still in Gray's arms. This reminded her that everything that happened was not a figment of her imagination. She contemplated on getting out of his grasp but then decided not to because it really wasn't that bad. Besides, it was just for a little bit and didn't mean anything.

Lucy was about to fall back asleep when she heard the door crack open just in time to see Cana and Levy's shocked expressions.

"Oh wow, Lucy," the Wine Goddess whistled.

Levy turned tomato red.

Laxus' head popped up behind them. "You certainly do move fast."

Lucy's voice struggled to get out of her mouth and defend the position she was in. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, and the gods she met already think she slept with Gray. Great, just great.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Five**

 **Awkward Breakfasts**

* * *

 **5 5 5**

Lucy got up hastily and untangled herself from the sheets and Gray's limbs. Holding up her hands defensively, she tried to explain herself. "This isn't what it looks like! We were just sleeping together!"

Cana smirked. "So it is what it looks like."

"No! What I meant was that we didn't do anything!" Lucy became flustered. "Really! Gray, help me out here!"

The Ice God sat up groggily. He rubbed his eyes, a slightly irritated expression painting across his handsome features. He glared at Cana but was silent. However, at the corner of Lucy's eye, she saw the wash basin on the nightstand start to shake and tremble. The bowl exploded and shattered into pieces, the water turning into shaved ice and spraying into Cana's face.

She spluttered angrily as the ice melted onto her clothes and hair. Behind her, Laxus smirked and shot a thumbs up in Gray's direction. Lucy merely stood there, mouth agape as she tried to register what just happened. He had manipulated the water into ice?

Gray stood up and adjusted his robes. He spoke in a low tone, voice rough with sleep. "Maybe that'll teach you to knock, Cana."

Said Wine Goddess rolled her eyes and dried herself with her magic in an instant. Like how Lisanna did so with her yesterday.

"I forget that you're not a morning person," Cana sighed in annoyance." She crossed her arms. "So what if I barged in? It's your fault for not locking the door." She smirked. "Perhaps you were a bit preoccupied, hm?"

Lucy flushed. "I told you! We didn't do anything!"

Laxus tilted his head to the side. "So what happened then?"

"My mother happened," Gray explained simply. "She wants me and Lucy to 'get to know each other more'."

Cana smiled sweetly. "Aww, what a mama's boy, honoring your mother's wishes. I see you got to know each other pretty well."

"I just couldn't sleep last night, so he helped me relax," Lucy muttered under her breath, hiding her face in her hands.

Laxus shook his head, a small smirk on his lips. "You're not helping your case here."

Gray threw him a withering glance.

Cana sighed in disappointment. "Appears they actually didn't do anything. How boring," she whined. Yawning, she pulled on her obi. "It's time for breakfast anyway."

Lucy's stomach let out an involuntary grumble. Her mouth was salivating at the word "breakfast."

Gray let out a wry chuckle. "Cana, take her downstairs to eat. I'll be there in a moment. I need to talk to Laxus for a bit."

Cana bowed. "Of course."

Lucy noted her more serious attitude, but before she could say anything, Cana snapped her fingers, and Lucy was in more suitable attire for the day. Pleased, Cana took her by the arm and began dragging her away to breakfast. Once there were quite away, Lucy couldn't help but glance back with raised eyebrows.

"What was that about?"

Cana shrugged, her thick brown hair swaying side to side. "Who knows? Probably something about the banquet tomorrow. Everybody is getting ready for it. Speaking of which, you must get ready for it as well."

"Banquet?"

Cana looked at her, about to burst into laughter, however, she sobered up quite quickly as if recalling something. "That's right. I forgot. You just got here, and you'll be staying here for quite a while."

"Something I'm not looking forward to," Lucy sighed.

The Wine Goddess scowled. "Come one! It won't be that bad." She sighed deeply, thinking. "There is a way to send you back despite the bond, but it's a bit tricky..."

Lucy's interest sparked, her heart leaping. "There's a way?" she whispered in disbelief, doe eyes wide and sparkling and full of hope.

Cana paused, her facial features softening slightly. "Don't get too excited. It's tricky and life threatening seeing how fragile you mortals are." She hurried down the steps, and Lucy followed closely behind her. "Enough about this. It's best not to talk about it freely," she said.

Lucy nodded in compliance; however, her mind was still focused on the idea of home.

Cana led Lucy down a brightly lit hallway with a blue tiled floor and sea green wallpaper. On the wall hung gold-framed paintings.

"This is the main dining hall. Every time we have a special guest or party, we eat here," Cana explained.

They then came to the dining hall double doors. Again, Lucy saw two sphinxes flanking the sides of the doors on their pedestals, irately swishing their tails.

Lucy frowned. "They're everywhere."

Cana sighed, taking a swig out of a flask she pulled out of nowhere. "Tell me about it. I don't know what Gray was thinking when he got those sphinxes. Their riddles are not something I'm fond of." Her lips curled in distaste as she walked up and approached them.

The first sphinx stepped up with beady eyes, _"From sleep they come, to have a crumb!"_ He bowed in respect, and Cana bowed as well though the disdain was clear in her eyes.

She sighed. "Get on with it then."

The first sphinx gestured to the second and began to hum under his breath. The second sphinx nodded his sharp chin and opened his mouth and began:

 _"It can't be seen, It can't be smelt,_

 _It can't be heard, It can't be felt._

 _It hides behind stars and under hills;_

 _Empty holes It fills._

 _It comes before and ends after,_

 _Ends life, kills laughter."_

Lucy knew the answer almost immediately, but she glanced at Cana. She tilted her head back and forth, taking a swig from her flask here and there until she eventually straightened up as the answer came to her after a few seconds.

Cana's eyes glimmered as she gave a cheeky grin. "Darkness, yeah?""

The sphinx gave her a toothy smile. " _That's it! What wit!"_

The creatures stomped their feet in synchronization and the doors glowed before slowly opening. Cana walked through hurriedly, and Lucy followed hastily. The aroma and smell of breakfast instantly hit the blonde's nose and her stomach let out a ferocious grumble. Cana looked back at her with a cocked eyebrow but didn't say anything. Lucy could only give a sheepish smile.

The hallway led onto a terrace with strange, exotic flowers blooming on the trellis and on the balcony edge. There was a single round table in the middle with a dozen chairs spaced evenly around it. The wind blew quite mildly, providing a fresh breeze, and the sun warmed the atmosphere giving the perfect temperature.

Mika was seated to the right with a dainty little teacup in one hand and a book in the other. She was deeply engrossed in its contents and did not hear them approach. Natsu sat, speaking with Lisanna, who stood dutifully by his side, while he occasionally took a bite off his...fire shish kabob? A man who Lucy didn't recognize sat across from Natsu, picking at a piece of bread while speaking to a woman Lucy also didn't recognize.

Her hair was an unforgettable scarlet and beautifully flowing down her back and over her shoulders. She had bright, brown eyes that narrowed dangerously every once in a while. Her robes were a violet purple, and she had a white dragon patterned obi. To add to her mysteriousness, a snow white owl was perched on her shoulder, cooing and rubbing the side of her face affectionately. She paused momentarily in her discussion, her eyes flicking upwards as they entered.

Lucy half expected her to say something, but she just returned to her conversation with the blue-haired man beside her. He had an intricate tattoo on one side of his face, and his dark green eyes seemed to peer into her soul.

Not that Lucy really minded because Natsu greeted her and gestured for her to sit. "Oh hey, Lucy! Want to eat something?"

"Oh, thank you," she responded.

Lucy sat right next to Mika, whose eyes lit up when she saw her. Cana, in turn, took a seat next to the mystery woman. She murmured a quiet greeting and pulled out a roll of bread from the basket.

Lucy was about to do the same but found herself pulled by Mika's fingers. "Lucy darling, how war your first night with Gray?" she gushed. "I hope he wasn't too bad of a sleeping partner. He used to have terrible sleeping habits. He didn't keep you up, did he?"

The blonde coughed awkwardly. "Uh, no. Rather, I think I was the one that kept him up with my restlessness." She pressed on. "That's why I don't think this sleeping arrangement will work out. I can return back to my own room, so I don't burden your son." Lucy inwardly prayed she would agree.

"Nonsense, my dear," Mika smiled with a shake of her head.

Lucy tried to protest, but Cana cut in with a smirk upon her face. "You're right, Lady Mika! And based on what I've seen, they worked things out. Did you know they were in each other's arms when I came to fetch them for breakfast?"

The mystery woman eye's widened at Cana's words.

"How wonderful!" Mika exclaimed. "Fate has always been right, but you two are just so perfect for each other! Did you consummate your bonding?" she asked eagerly.

Lucy suddenly felt hot, her cheeks red from embarrassment. "That's a little too hasty, don't you think?"

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day," the scarlet-haired woman commented.

Mika's eyes lit up as she heard her speak, as if she had just remembered that she was there. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you to our guests! Silly me!" She gestured to the red-head. "This lovely woman here is Erza Fernandes, my dear Gray and Natsu's childhood friend. They used to always play together and get me mad when they came home covered in dirt," she recalled affectionately. "Of course that was ages ago. They reached maturation at 23, which was quite a while ago. Now she's gone and become the loved Goddess of War and Wisdom."

Erza blushed from the praise. "Please, that's a little too much."

"What's maturation?" Lucy wondered aloud.

Lisanna smiled. "Maturation is the age at which a god stops aging. It often occurs in the late 20s, but it is different for everybody. Some never stop aging and some reach maturation at the age of 8."

Mika nodded. "Yes, and this is Jellal Fernandes. He is the God of Space and Foresight. He and Erza are bound together. As you can see, they're quite close! You and Gray will be just like them in no time!" she claimed happily.

Lucy tried to keep her smile, but it was hard. She didn't want to stay here forever with strangers. It wouldn't be that bad, but she felt uneasy since she was a human in a land of gods. She was in a strange world and had a home. And that was when it struck her. Why she was sent here in the first place.

"Lady Mika!" Lucy clasped her hands urgently. "The reason I was sent here was to convince your son to stop the Ice Age my village was suffering from. My people are dying, and I was just hoping it could be stopped. I know that you're the Goddess of Agriculture, and you could possibly help them as well? Please, to calm my fears that my parents will be all right while I'm here?"

Mika smiled benevolently. "Of course, Lucy dear. Anything for you." She let out a soft sigh. "It's a bit peculiar Gray was able to cause something like that, but he is my son after all. It seems his capabilities with ice extend further than we thought." She gently squeezed Lucy's hands. "I do apologize. Gray was in a foul mood earlier and has neglected his duties as the Ice God. We must also go over his extended abilities. I'll make sure your family is safe. You are rather uneasy being here, but I do hope this calms your nerves." She gestured for Lisanna to come to her side and whispered into her ear. Lisanna nodded promptly and left in a rush.

Erza looked at Lucy curiously. "You are living in the land of the gods, yet you still have your mortal ties?"

Lucy was taken aback by her question, eyebrows rising. "Well, yes. It's only day one - you can't really expect me to adapt so quickly, do you?"

A maid came forward and placed a cup of hot tea in front of Lucy. She took it quickly and sipped it every couple of seconds. She was unnerved by Erza's piercing gaze.

Jellal spoke for the first time. "Your future is not with mortals."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. Since he wasn't just the God of Space but Foresight too, maybe this Jellal guy knew a thing or two about how her life was going to end up. She couldn't really argue against something of the supernatural. However, it ticked her off with all this talk about Fate this and Fate that. The future could always change.

He seemed to read her mind. "I can see the path you're headed to, not where you will eventually end up."

Lucy's mouth opened, about to respond when she was interrupted by none other than Gray Fullbuster.

"Save it."

Despite the fact that she knew who it was, Lucy still jumped in her seat by his sudden appearance.

She turned around to face Gray and gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "So you finally decided to show up." She tossed him a bread roll, which he caught expertly. Lucy felt her eye twitch in annoyance. "While you were gone, Cana decided to inform your mother of our...sleeping position."

He glared with his smoldering dark eyes, but Lucy matched it.

"It's your fault," he said simply. "I'm not the one who had to switch positions every five seconds."

"Twenty."

"What?"

"It was twenty seconds," Lucy muttered.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Same thing."

Mika squealed with glee and clapped her hands together. "Oh my! You two are just like a married couple!"

Erza snorted.

Lucy didn't know if she should feel offended or agree.

The scarlet-haired goddess stood up and grabbed Cana's arm. "Let's go. All the hard work won't get done by itself, you know. As the Goddess of Wine and Festivities, this is your line of duty."

Cana sighed, taking a large few gulps from her flask. "You're right."

Erza rolled her eyes, grabbing the Wine Goddess' infinitely full flask.

"Hey, I need that to survive the day!" Cana whined.

"It's nine in the morning."

"So?!"

Mika tilted her head to the side. "Where are you two lovely ladies heading?"

Gray spoke up. "Cana's always in charge of festivities and such, but I also put Erza in charge to...stop her procrastination." He chewed carefully. "So they need to get started since they don't have much time."

Cana laughed. "Oh, come one, Gray! Stop being so pessimistic. We'll get it done in no time. We've got magic, remember?" She gave a sly smile to Erza.

They turned to leave, but Mika stopped them.

"Why don't you girls take Lucy with you?"

Said blonde almost choked. "W-What?" She looked frantically at Gray who just shrugged. "I really think I should just leave it to the pros," Lucy suggested.

Erza lifted an elegant brow. "You know, Lady Mika, now that you mention it, why not? We could use this to get to know each other better. What do you say, feeling creative today, Lucy?" She held out her hand encouragingly.

Lucy hesitated and looked at Mika, who nodded with a smile.

"All right, sure," Lucy nodded.

Gray chuckled. He ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "Don't mess thing up, Lucy."

Cana's eyes narrowed and with a wave of her hand an invisible burst of energy hit Gray's arm and made it snap back. He growled and snapped his arm back in place with an audible crack. She smirked in satisfaction. "That's for drenching me earlier and just being dreadful this morning." She turned and smiled sweetly at Lucy. "I got your back, Lucy."

Lucy blinked slowly before smiling. Not to self: never piss off anybody here.

Cana nodded. "Well, let's get a move on, shall we? Time to get some décor done."

Erza smirked and pushed Lucy along. "We're going to have so much fun together."

Cana swept her long, wavy brown hair to one side and winked at Lucy. She gave her a mischievous smile. "Tons and tons of fun."

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Six**

 **Teaspoonful of Poison Makes the Medicine Go Down**

* * *

 **6 6 6**

The two goddesses hastened Lucy down another dark corridor after they exited from the breakfast dining hall. There seemed to be no end to all the hallways and doors in this palace. The thought of getting lost seemed very probable to Lucy.

Lucy tried to slow down, but they just quickened their pace. "Where is the banquet going to be held?"

"In the Emerald Ballroom," Erza said.

"What's it for?"

Erza smiled. "Cana was right. You do ask a lot of questions."

Lucy sighed tiredly. "Yeah, being human in a new godly world happens to do that."

Cana laughed. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Well, the banquet is an annual gathering of all the gods and goddesses. They are held in a different place every year," Erza explained. "This year, Gray has been chosen to host the banquet. It's basically a whole get-together where goddesses can gossip, gods can boast about their latest achievements and...they make fun of humans." She glanced at Lucy carefully. "However, not all of us participate in those nonsensical things."

Lucy smiled weakly. "That's nice to hear."

"Yeah, there's also food and booze!" Cana added happily.

Erza rolled her eyes. "Right, but the main event is the arrival of the Emperor and Empress. They give an account of last year's achievements and set rules for the coming year." She gave Lucy a reassuring look. "Don't worry about the Emperor and Empress liking you. They're very kind to mortals. They are the first ever in their line of royalty to have that mentality and attitude. Empress Mavis and Emperor Zeref are very kind."

Lucy nodded. "So what do they rule over."

"To be honest, no one knows the full extent of the Emperor's powers. It's understood that he's all powerful and whatever, but I guess that's where Natsu gets his unlimited power from," Cana mentioned, trailing off.

Lucy was confused, but Erza filled her in. "Emperor Zeref is the older brother of Natsu."

"Yeah," Cana continued. "The Empress on the other hand is the Goddess of Life. She looks like a thirteen-year-old girl, but she's actually 600+ years old. It's kind of weird sometimes because her son, August, looks like he's sixty or something."

"That...is a little bit weird," Lucy agreed. "They sound like quite the characters though."

Cana laughed. "You have no idea!"

"Yeah," Erza nodded. "Let's get a move on. Gray did tell us to hurry, remember?"

Cana made an annoyed expression.

They turned a corner and continued walking until they came upon an isolated hallway with only one door whose height reached the top of the ceiling. The door was an opaque emerald, and there were gold dragons on each side of the double doors.

Erza gestured to the doors. "You first."

"What, no sphinxes?" Lucy asked dryly.

Cana snickered. "Of course not. This one has a much greater security system."

She placed her fingertip on the eye of the dragon, and the eye gleamed a dark ruby, and the doors swung open.

"It responds to our natural magic signature," Erza explained.

They quickly walked inside and were immediately greeted by a rush of servants who were carrying various plants and silk curtains. There was a loud clamor and everybody was calling the room to attention. All the servants stopped what they were doing and faced them and then bowed in greeting.

"Lady Cana! Lady Erza!"

"Thank you," Erza said. "As you can see, we will be joined by Lady Lucy. Some of you might know her as Lord Gray's bride."

Murmuring followed. A few whispered and eyed her curiously, some with awe, and a handful with disdain. Lucy couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable by the attention she was receiving.

"If my ears ever pick up the word 'mortal,' you will be sent to the Emperor's palace," Erza warned, her eyes steely as her voice. "Do you understand?"

The servants paled at her words, and they nodded in compliance.

Cana chuckled throatily. "Now, we'll need everybody to leave, and we'll be planning for half an hour. At half past eleven we need everybody to report back here, yes?"

The servants nodded and bowed their heads as they shuffled out. Cana grabbed one of the servants before they could make it out.

"Tell the kitchen to send up some tea, please."

He nodded hastily and moved on, eager to escape the Wine Goddess' hold.

Lucy blinked in wonder. "Wow, that was...authoritative."

"Thanks," Cana winked. "Anyway, what color should we have the curtains? I was thinking an eggshell white but then maybe a cream white would be better." She frowned, deep in thought.

"Really?" Lucy asked dryly. "Eggshell white and cream white? That's a tough one. What about snow white?"

"Lucy, this is of the upmost importance," Cana informed her seriously.

"We'll do the curtains last," Erza cut in. "We need to decide on the menu first. Remember last year when Lord Sting nearly choked on the Haricot Vert Salad? The damned pine nuts got clogged in his air pipes. Lady Yukino wasn't too pleased about that. I'm not going to have something embarrass me like that."

Cana sighed irately at the memory. "Well, if Sting didn't suck up his food like an elephant then maybe that wouldn't have been a problem, now would it?"

Lucy made a face as an image popped up in her head of an elephant eating a Haricot Vert Salad.

Erza couldn't help but somewhat agree with Cana's statement.

"So you organized last year's banquet too? Do you normally stay at Gray's palace?" Lucy inquired curiously.

"Oh no," Erza shook her head. "That's always Cana's job. Besides, it's much too cold here for my liking. That's why I live closer to Natsu's palace more. I only come up here for big events and sometimes whenever I feel like it. Got to keep Gray in check. Speaking of which, Cana told me you weren't pleased with your bonding." She glanced at Lucy while rearranging the place mats on the silver tables.

Lucy shrugged. "Well, being a mortal here isn't exactly fun, and Gray hasn't exactly warmed up to me."

"Does he warm up to anybody other than his teddy bear?" Cana giggled. "Remember when we were little he used to have that teddy bear named Kuma? Oh my god, he wouldn't let us play with it because he was so afraid we would steal it," she chortled to Erza.

Lucy's eyebrows rose. He had a teddy bear named Kuma? She made a mental note to make fun of him for that later.

Erza laughed. "Of course I remember, how could I not? I was the one who nearly popped Kuma's head off after I got so mad at Gray." She turned to Lucy. "Anyway, Gray's a good guy. He might seem a little cold at first, but he means well. He's just a little cautious, but you know..." she trailed off.

"Yes?" Lucy prompted.

"I think he likes you," Erza stated.

Cana nodded in agreement.

Lucy blanched. "Wh- No, no way."

She felt herself flush deeply. She tried forming words, but she was left speechless, looking like a fish out of water. So she opted to just shake her head furiously.

Cana put her hands on her hips. "Come on, I have never seen Gray hold anybody - at all. Even though he's like 200+ years old, he still thinks girls have cooties," she scoffed.

"It wasn't anything. I'm telling you the-"

A knock came at the door and interrupted Lucy. A voice came from the other side. "Lady Cana, Lady Erza, it is Amaya."

Cana waggled her finger at the door, and it opened magically.

A girl around Lucy's age, or appeared to be Lucy's age, stood at the door. She had deep purple hair and striking silver eyes. The handmaiden came in gracefully, and she had a small smile upon her face. However, the little lift of her lips unnerved Lucy. It just didn't sit right. In her hands, she held a tray of three cups, and as Lucy was about to reach for one, she stopped her politely.

"Oh, Lady Lucy, allow me."

She placed the tray down on the glass table and began preparing the tea. One she finished, she handed everyone a cup and bowed.

"Please enjoy."

Shrugging, Lucy lifted the cup to take a small sip of it, and she felt a drop of the hot liquid slide down her parched throat. Suddenly, there was a loud crash as the teacup in her hands exploded into several tiny pieces. One of them cut her fingers and drops of blood slipped down her palm.

"Oh!" Lucy let out a gasp and jumped backwards.

"Tell me you didn't drink any of that!" Cana demanded.

Lucy looked up to see Cana's furious face. Her eyes changed from their beautiful purple to a sharp gold. "U-Uh, just a little bit. Why?"

Cana cursed and turned to Erza. "Get her to the medics immediately!"

Erza pulled on her arm, but Lucy resisted. She had no idea what was going on. She needed to know, but Cana continued on in a rage toward the girl Amaya.

"I'll deal with this little conniving wretch!"

With a snap of Cana's fingers, the handmaiden let out a sharp cry of pain as she clutched at her throat, writhing on the floor in pain and misery.

"I'm sorry, Lady Cana!" the handmaiden sobbed. "She doesn't deserve him!" She clawed at her throat. "Just make it stop!"

Cana's eyes narrowed. "You thought I wouldn't notice? If I hadn't, Lady Lucy would've consumed more and died. Is that what you were hoping for? I may just be known as the Goddess of Wine and Festivities, but I know what's in a drink, and those poisonous herbs were stink bombs to me," she growled. "Especially the Mahi Herb. You were planning on rendering her incapable of speech and movement."

The air suddenly became thick.

"I a-apologize, L-Lady Cana!" the handmaiden panted out with great difficulty. She bowed her head and tried to move towards Cana, begging for the goddess to stop the pain.

Lucy urgently grabbed Cana's sleeve. "Cana, stop torturing her. I feel perfectly fine."

Cana turned to her in shock. "You should be on the floor writhing in pain. How are you still standing?" Her eyes flickered to the War Goddess. "Erza, how is she not hurt?"

Erza stared at Lucy. "You drank it, yes?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm sure of it. I was really thirsty, so I recall the liquid going down my throat," she clarified. The blonde was confused to say the least because this poison apparently didn't affect her whatsoever.

Erza turned back toward the handmaiden, glaring at the quivering girl. "You did use the Mahi herb, didn't you?"

Amaya sniffled. "Y-Yes, I did. I used copious amounts of it too. I just wanted her away from Lord Gray. She doesn't deserve him! She's a filthy mortal!" she spat.

Lucy felt her jaw drop. This was about that smug jerk? She poisoned her because she bonded to Gray? Was this girl insane? Things like this only happened in super dramatic tales that were supposed to be myths and fiction!

She frowned. "Look, I didn't mean to bond with him. It just happened."

Amaya let out a screech of anger and tried to rise and claw at Lucy's face, but the spell Cana had on her reactivated, and she fell back on the floor screaming in agony.

"I've b-been here f-for decades, a-always wi-with him and serving him. Th-Then you c-come in, a mortal, and y-you bond with him!" she snarled, eyes an angry, violent red. "It should've been me!"

Cana's golden, furious stare dialed down back to her pretty purple eyes because of the stupidity of it all. She sighed, a deck of cards appearing in her hands out of thin air. Lucy blinked, fascinated more than terrified. She heard Erza sigh as well. Before Lucy could blink again, Cana threw the cards toward the handmaiden, and they circled around her, the face of the cards toward Amaya. There was a crackle and a spark and then eventually a lightning bolt formed and zapped the handmaiden's body for a good, solid seconds because ceasing. The power the cards held was ridiculous. The force of the lightning bolt would've made Laxus proud.

Erza hummed. "You love being dramatic, don't you?"

"Yup," Cana smiled. "Couldn't help it."

Erza's hand glowed and out of nowhere a sword materialized in her hand. "I'll keep her in check. She's been grating on my nerves for a while. I cannot believe she had the audacity to pull this stunt."

Cana patted Erza's shoulder. "Yeah, go for it. I had my fun with her." She turned to Lucy. "Let's go to the medics, yeah? We need to make sure you're fine, and why the poison was diluted." Her face was thoughtful.

Lucy followed her out of the banquet hall and as they turned the corner, they bumped into Gray. He was breathless, and he looked like he had just sprinted over. He yanked Lucy aside, his eyes boring into hers with a slight mix of concern.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Lucy struggled to respond, a bit surprised. "I... Well, uh - how did you know?"

Gray let out an exasperated sigh. "We're bonded, remember?"

"Calm down, Gray," Cana said, an amused smile on her face. "It was nothing but a poison attempt. Lucy seems to be immune to it though," she shrugged as if it was the most normal thing.

Gray glared at her. "Who tried to poison her? You know whatever affects her will affect me." He turned to Lucy. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"I-I don't know," Lucy admitted, looking down. "I didn't even know I was poisoned."

Cana made a face. "Oh gods, save me! Why is it that I'm standing in the middle of you two?! The sexual tension between you two is suffocating."

Lucy whacked her lightly on the arm and shot her an unappreciative glare. Gray just shook his head as if he was used to hearing these types of comments from her.

Cana rolled her eyes. "Well, thank the gods that out of all the people you bonded to Lucy. She seems to be immune to poisons."

Gray sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Who tried to poison you again?"

Lucy shrugged and looked at the Wine Goddess.

Cana cocked her head to the side and folder her arms. "Amaya. I kept telling you to send her away. I told you of her obsessive tendencies, but did you listen? No, you told me to stop being paranoid." She threw him a dirty look.

It was Gray's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, fine, fine. Whatever you say."

Cana scowled. "Anyway, what are you going to do about her?"

"Send her to the Emperor's Palace," he decided.

Lucy rose her eyebrows. "Isn't that a bit harsh?" she asked worriedly. "I mean, it was an attempted poisoning, she didn't actually poison me."

"It's only temporary," Gray reassured. "Shouldn't you be angrier? She tried to poison you," he stated wryly.

Lucy gave a small chuckle. "Well, I was, but Cana went wild with her flying cards, and Erza's currently threatening her with a magical sword. I think she's gotten enough punishment."

Gray blinked, slowly nodding and then asked, "What was the reason for the attempted poisoning?"

Lucy frowned, glaring at him. "Apparently you're pretty popular around here."

Realization dawned on his face, and his lips formed a thin, grim line. "I'm sorry. I'll deal with this accordingly."

Lucy's eyes widened slightly. She couldn't believe her ears. That jerk actually apologized.

"What?" he asked, leaning slightly closer.

She flushed slightly, waving him off nonchalantly. "Nothing, nothing."

Cana giggled in the background. "Hey Gray, why don't you take her to the medical center for me, will you?"

"Huh? Wait, what?"

"I'm in charge of the banquet, remember?" Cana gave him a sly smirk. "I'm just doing what you told me to do, my dear Gray! Have fun you two!" She disappeared down the hallway, her laughter echoing and bouncing off the walls.

Lucy and Gray stood in silence next to each other as they watched the Wine Goddess go. The Ice God then sighed and turned towards her. Lucy could only stare back as some unnamable tension filled the air between them, and she couldn't help but think this was a staring contest that she was going to win.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Surprise Attack!**

* * *

 **7 7 7**

Gray had to admit that Lucy was really something. Besides her long, golden blonde hair that is. She had a lot of nerve for a mortal, and always had something to say back. She was intriguing to say the least, and he wasn't particularly averse to bonding with her. It could've been worse. He could've bonded to a rabid fan girl and spent the rest of his life tending to her obsessions. But no, he got Lucy Heartfilia, a mortal girl that was feisty, quick witted, and liked to have her say.

"Do you always look...moody?" Lucy suddenly asked.

Gray blinked. "What?"

"I don't know," Lucy shrugged. "You just have this...vibe that your dog died or something."

He eyed her. "Well, I suppose you always look like that too. What do you know, something we have in common," he said dryly.

Lucy scoffed. "I'd be careful if I were you, Fullbuster."

That was new - a mortal telling a god to be careful.

Gray rose a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Lucy leaned in closely, and he was slightly taken aback by her forwardness. "I mean, that I have dirt on you," she smiled mischievously. She suddenly moved back and continued walking down the hallway nonchalantly.

Gray's eyes narrowed. What the hell did she mean? And that's when it hit him. She'd been hanging around Cana and Erza all morning. _Well, shit,_ he thought as he grabbed her arm and twisted her back to him.

"What did they tell you?"

Lucy shrugged. "Nothing really."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me if you don't want to."

"Lucy."

"Gray."

His eye twitched. "Well, whatever Cana and Erza told you was probably a lie."

"Okay then," Lucy smirked. "I guess they really did lie about your old teddy bear, Kuma." She mock sighed. "What a shame."

A part of Gray died inside when she heard her utter that name. Well fuck, now she knew about that raggedy stuffed animal that he used to take everywhere until Erza decapitated it. He guessed his face gave away the answer because Lucy gasped and choked out a laugh. Then and there, Gray vowed to kill Cana and Erza. Well, maybe not Erza but definitely Cana.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it's true!" Lucy laughed. She doubled over. "A stone faced, icy hearted god used to have a teddy bear!" She suddenly deadpanned. "Don't tell me you still have it."

"No," Gray hissed. He grabbed her by the arm. "Enough about this, we're heading to the medical center now. Stop thinking about Kuma."

Lucy still giggled as he pulled her along. They passed a few handmaidens whose mouths were open wide as they charged head on. Gray sighed, knowing that they were going to gossip about this exact moment later. That's what handmaidens were notorious for: spreading rumors and lies. The Ice God gritted his teeth, bulldozing by them, the medical center only a few hallways away.

Lucy spoke beside him. "Hey, Gray, I was thinking, how do you feel about last night?"

Gray brows rose. She didn't it say it like she was embarrassed, just merely curious. It was awkward to say the least. He didn't know her, she didn't know him. He was a god, she was a mortal. He honestly didn't know what to think about it. He could feel her nerves and anxiety through the bond that night despite the fact that she took Nemeru. He did whatever he thought would help her sleep. Friendly gesture, nothing more.

"Why, do you feel uncomfortable about it?"

"No," she admitted, which surprised him. "On the contrary, it was comforting. It usually takes me a while to fall asleep." She smiled at him. "You'll probably have to do that again if you don't want me to keep you up the whole night."

"I don't mind," Gray found himself saying. "Honestly, I really wanted you to stop moving, so I could sleep, but whatever helps."

She laughed. "I don't blame you." She stared off into space. "Back home, I'd just go take a walk by the lake at night. When I was little, my mom would walk with me and tell me all about the constellations in the night sky. It was pretty peaceful and quiet out there."

Gray looked at her. He could see that she really missed home. There was a way to return her home, but strangely, he was reluctant to tell her about it.

"Sounds nice," he said.

They turned the corner.

"Here's the medical center," he stated. "If you have any injuries or sickness just remember to come here."

Lucy nodded, and they proceeded in. Wendy was standing there with her clipboard in hand, as if she were expecting them.

 **7 7 7**

They entered the palace medical center, and the first thing Lucy took note of was the blue-haired girl who didn't look older than twelve. She briefly looked around, noting the airy white curtains and several medical beds lining the walls. Overall, it was very spacious and not stuffy at all due to the floor to ceiling windows.

Gray gestured to the blue-haired girl. "This is Wendy, Goddess of Wind and Health. She's the head doctor here, and she's very skilled. She'll be able to figure out what's wrong with you."

Lucy sweatdropped. She was pretty sure that he meant that in a sincere tone, but he made it sound like she had some lethal disease.

"There's nothing wrong with me," she muttered. "In fact, there's something right with me if my body doesn't react to poisons," she protested.

Gray shrugged and nudged her over to the Wendy.

She smiled genuinely. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lady Lucy."

Lucy chewed her lip uncomfortably at the formality. "There's no need to address me like that," she laughed nervously. "I'm just an ordinary mortal, but likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you." She gave a slight bow.

When Lucy lifted her head, she saw that Wendy had a surprised look on her face. "I'm just a young goddess, no one important!"

"The position of a doctor is nothing to scoff at," Lucy replied. "Especially a female as an expert in a male dominated field, well in the human realm at least."

Wendy's eyes twinkled. "The Fates have chosen well, Lord Gray. Your bride is one-of-a-kind," she commented. "I like her already." She gestured to the medical table. "Here, please take a seat."

Lucy nervously sat down and clasped her hands together. "There won't be anything painful, will there?" she asked apprehensively.

Wendy smiled. "Depends if you can handle needles."

"Needles," Lucy echoed, paling slightly.

"But let's wrap that hand of yours first," she said.

"My hand?" Lucy echoed again.

Said blonde looked down to see her right palm smeared with blood. Now she distinctly remembered the teacup exploding in her hand and a piece cutting her. She couldn't believe she forgot about that.

"Yes, it doesn't look deep, so no stiches," Wendy examined.

"Oh, bless," Lucy sighed in relief.

In no time, Wendy expertly cleaned and dressed the wound before she took a needle from her medical tool box and sterilized it. "Now, have you taken any other foods or herbs since your arrival?"

"She told me Lisanna had given her a Nemuru root, and she ate some bread this morning, and if you count the tea she was served earlier," Gray answered for her. "Last night, it seemed that the Nemuru had no effect on her body as well. So it seems that she is immune to non-dangerous herbs as well."

"Interesting," Wendy replied. She took Lucy's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "You'll be all right. I just need to run a blood test to see if anything is in your system, okay? Now, don't tense up." She took the sharp needle, and Lucy gulped as she saw it glint in the sunlight.

Lucy gripped Gray's arm, her fingernails digging into his robes, which didn't seem to affect him in the least bit. The needle slid effortlessly into her skin, but it prickled, and the skin around the needle began to throb violently. Lucy tried to inhale and exhale, but only little hisses came out of her mouth.

Wendy seemed to concentrate, and she slid the needle out with focused eyes. "I suggest you look away if you don't want to see any blood," she informed, and Lucy did exactly that.

She heard Wendy moving around the medical center and then felt the soft texture of bandages being wrapped around her arm. She opened her eyes and let out a small breath of relief.

Wendy held up a vial of black-red liquid, which Lucy assumed was the blood she had just taken. She sloshed it around and looked at it with interest. "Not bad, yeah?" she smiled and began to open the vial of blood. She took a dropper, which contained some sort of chemical and put in a few drops of blue liquid. Shaking the vial once more, the blood began to change color, and it was now sort of a lime green.

Gray frowned. "What does that mean?"

Wendy paused, amazed. "It means...she has supernatural hepatocytes within her bloodstream. It's not a large amount, but it's there."

"How is that possible?" Lucy asked. "I am one hundred percent mortal, I can assure you."

Wendy giggled. "That may very well be but because of your bond to Lord Gray, it may have done something to your body."

"You've got to be kidding me," Gray said.

"No," Wendy shook her head. "Here's my theory: The impact of the bond must have been so strong that some of your hepatocytes or cells might have been embedded into Lucy's body, leading it to mutate within her bloodstream and form a new type of cell foreign to mortals but common within supernatural beings. The amount of cells transferred must have been so great that it was able to protect Lucy against lethal herbs like the Mahi. These cells are probably forming a defense mechanism within her body as we speak. However, it seems even medicinal herbs are a threat to her body, which is why the effect of even sleeping aids are nullified," she explained.

Lucy's head spun. "S-So what you're saying is that the bond caused me to inherit some supernatural abilities?"

Wendy titled her head to the side. "Not quite. Since you're human, the supernatural cells are only boosting your immune system, not really giving you any abilities but strengthening your body's defenses. I mean, it's possible that the cells could mutate further and grow into a supernatural ability, but it's highly unlikely."

Gray was just as puzzled. "I've never heard of this happening before. I don't think even Levy knows if there was a case."

"It's happened," Wendy said. "The reason I believe Lady Levy isn't aware is because the account was documented in medical studies, which only I, Lady Porlyusica, and Lady Chelia have access to."

"What did it say?" Gray asked.

"There were no lethal side effects," Wendy stated. "However, the mortals that inherited the supernatural hepatocytes were shown to have better compatibility for immortality. Meaning, compared to the average mortal, Lucy could be turned and actually survive the process."

Turned? Did she mean that Lucy could become immortal, just like Cana, Erza, Gray...? Lucy stood up hastily, feeling herself panic. "Let's not rush this, all right? I mean, I might not even be here for very long, so let's not even think about immortality."

Gray frowned. "That's not an option," he stated plainly. "She doesn't want to be here, so why would I even contemplate giving her immortality? That would tie her to this world, and she wouldn't be able to return home."

Lucy couldn't help but stare at him. She thought she felt her eyes sting a little, but she sniffed and composed herself. She was touched by this. He knew that she was homesick and that she wanted to see her parents, but she hadn't expected Gray to voice it.

Wendy nodded. "Of course, I wasn't suggesting anything of the like. It was just a medical fact."

Gray sighed. "Thanks, Wendy."

A knock at the medical door interrupted them, and Cana stepped in, her brown hair shining like copper in the sun. She grinned as she caught sight of them.

"Gray, your mom's looking for you," she said. "Something about more preparations for the banquet, and she wanted me to escort Lucy to get her dress fitting across town."

Gray nodded and turned to leave but paused and looked back at Lucy. "If Cana gives you any grief, feel free to hit her." His eyes flickered to the Wine Goddess. "By the way, I'm going to kill you for telling Lucy about Kuma. I know it was you."

Cana snorted with laughter. "What? She just wanted to know more about you, Gray!"

Gray waved her off and exited the medical center.

Cana looked at Lucy. "Ready to look fabulous?"

Lucy looked unsure. "Sure, I guess. Do...I really have to do this?"

"Yup," Cana smiled, popping the 'p.' "Now, did they find out what was wrong with you?"

"She has supernatural hepatocytes within her bloodstream," Wendy spoke up. "It's apparently given her some supernatural protection against poisons and nullifies even healing properties."

Cana let out a low whistle. "Wow, that's pretty amazing. But, let's talk about that more later. Ready to go?" she asked Lucy.

Lucy nodded wordlessly.

Cana gripped her arm. "Hold on tight," she warned.

Suddenly, Lucy felt a sucking motion at her feet and then her surroundings disappeared and were replaced by a grassy field that many houses were settled around.

"Where are we?" Lucy asked breathlessly.

"This is outside the palace," Cana explained. "It's where all the major shops are."

"Wait," Lucy grabbed her arm. "I have something to ask you." Worry coated her tone and that made Cana stop and look at her. "I-I was wondering...how is a mortal turned into an immortal?"

Cana froze. "Why do you want to know that? I thought you wanted to leave and go back home," she whispered. "What brought this on?"

"I was just curious," Lucy whispered back. "Wendy said something about the process not always being guaranteed. Like you can die if it goes wrong or something."

"Well, you're talking to the right person," Cana said, albeit carefully. "I happen to know a lot about it. Levy explained it to me some time ago, but yeah, it's a very risky but simple procedure. All you have to do is drink from an elixir, but there's a ten percent chance of survival. Once you drink the elixir, you fall into a deep sleep or coma for about forty-eight hours. If it succeeds, you will awaken after the forty-eight hours, but if it fails, you die in your sleep," she explained solemnly.

"Is that elixir hard to get?" Lucy asked, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Well, not necessarily," Cana frowned. "It's pretty simple to make. I mean I could make it right now, but-"

"Lady Cana!" Lisanna's voice came from behind them, and they both turned around to see the white-haired handmaiden rushing up to them with a flushed face. "There you guys are! I was wondering where on gods land you two were.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Cana apologized sheepishly. "I'll be off then now that you got her covered."

She turned to leave, but Lucy called out to her. "Weren't you going to help me pick a dress? You were all gung ho about it."

Cana shook her head. "I was just supposed to take you here. Erza will kill me if I ditch her," she shivered. "Catch you later!" She disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves.

Lisanna tugged on Lucy's kimono. "You ready?"

Lucy nodded silently. Lisanna led her along the path to a large stone house with smoke billowing out from the chimney. They stepped inside and warmth immediately encircled them, and the smell of cozy scented candles fill the air.

"Hooo, she's lovely," a sultry voice cooed.

Lucy whipped around to see a gorgeous woman with magenta hair and the brightest blue eyes. She wore a beautiful red kimono embroidered with pastel pink cherry blossoms.

"H-Hello," Lucy greeted, bowing slightly.

The woman giggled. "No need, darling. My name is Sherry. I'm the go-to seamstress for the gods and goddesses in the palace, and I'll be at your service as well." She gave a coy smile. "And boy, I'm going to have so much fun with you."

Lucy gave a nervous laugh.

Lisanna smiled. "Don't worry, Lucy. Lady Sherry is being way too humble. She is the Goddess of Love and Beauty. You're in good hands."

Sherry took out a measuring tape. "Well, let's get started. Now hold still, love."

And so, she began to work. Sherry tediously and meticulously measured every inch of Lucy's body, and they talked conversationally.

"As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, don't you have your own palace?" Lucy asked curiously.

Sherry laughed good naturedly. "Yeah, well, I wasn't always a goddess. I like sticking to my humble beginnings. It's always good to remember where you came from."

Lucy hummed. "I agree. I hope you don't mind me asking what you were before."

"I was just the palace seamstress, that's all," Sherry said. "And I still am because I love it. It was because I bonded to the God of Air, Ren Akatsuki, that my status elevated from just a simple seamstress to a goddess."

"Oh, so like Lisanna's sister?"

Sherry smiled. "Yes, Mira is an old, dear friend of mine."

"When you become...a goddess, how do you know what you rule over or how is it decided I suppose?"

"That's a good question that I'm not sure I'll be able to answer," Sherry said. "But I think it has to do with who you are as a person."

"Really, I suppose that's good then," Lucy commented.

Sherry nodded. "Honestly, I was surprised my duty was over love and beauty because Mira is just as beautiful as I am, if not more, and her heart is so big and full of love and forgiveness. But I think because of that she was given the duty to rule over death because sending those to the afterlife requires being merciful and fair."

"Well, I think you're a perfect fit as the Goddess of Love and Beauty if you ask me," Lucy mentioned.

Sherry looked up curiously. "You think so?"

Lucy nodded. "You're undoubtedly beautiful, but it says a lot that you're still here working as a seamstress. It's not just about being beautiful, you love to spread beauty and love to others."

Sherry smiled. "I really like you."

"Oh, uh thank you."

"Now, which do you like better, maroon or lavender?" Sherry questioned.

"Lavender," Lucy answered. "Say Sherry, do you think that I'll be received poorly by, you know, the other gods and goddesses."

"Oh hush, you'll be fine," Sherry chided. "My dress will be so spectacular they'll be speechless the entire night. Besides, I and many other amazing goddesses will be there."

From the corner of Lucy's eye, she saw a pink-haired man approach the house. It was Natsu, and it suddenly made sense why Lisanna was wistfully looking out the window the entire time.

"Hey Lisanna," she began casually. "If you want, you can go and be with Natsu. Like you said, I'm in good hands."

She blushed red and stuttered, "Oh! I didn't mean to give the impression, but I - oh, will it be fine? I'll promise to be back in a few minutes."

Lucy laughed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just go ahead, no need to be cooped up in here with me."

Lisanna nodded gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered and quickly stepped out of the house to meet the Fire God.

"Well that was awfully kind of you," Sherry commented while measuring some silk.

Lucy watched them out the window. "What's their relationship?"

"They're lovers," Sherry said, looking out the window as well, her eyes sad. "But they're not supposed to be together. Can you imagine the uproar if a god married a handmaiden? They haven't bonded yet, so it's seen as a disgrace to society."

"What do you think?" Lucy asked.

"I think the whole situation is ridiculous and unfair," Sherry responded. "They deeply love each other, but Lisanna and Natsu have to carry on like this or people would gossip. Horrible, isn't it?"

"How come they haven't bonded yet like Gray and I?" Lucy asked, confused. It seemed a really unfair, like Sherry said, and it never occurred to her that Lisanna and Natsu's relationship would ever be looked down upon.

"Bonding is spontaneous - it doesn't always work on first contact," Sherry sighed. "That's why, before I was a goddess, I thought bonding was stupid. What if you bonded to someone you actually hated and never bonded to the one you actually love? But now that I've been through my own experience with bonding, I can see that the Fates mean well. They always do."

Lucy was silent for the rest of the time as she mused upon this. Her stomach was churning - she was nervous. She would have to be in front of tons of gods and goddesses and present herself in a society where mortals were looked down upon. That was something she was never going to be prepared for.

An hour or so passed, and Sherry gave her clear direction back to the palace. She just had to walk along the river until she got to the bridge, and then the palace would be up ahead not too far away. Since Cana wasn't with her, Lucy would have to walk the distance, but she didn't mind. She needed the long walk to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

She kept walking along the river when she heard an unmistakable rustle in the bushes. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello?" she called out.

She slapped herself mentally. Did she honestly think somebody would call back out and say, "Hi, I'm going to attack you now. Hope you don't mind."

Lucy inched backwards and kept walking back toward the palace. For all she knew, it could've been a bunny or whatever friendly supernatural creature. But then she heard it again, a rustle and a crunching sound, like the snapping of a branch that was stepped on. Before she could blink, a dark blur leapt out at Lucy, and she let out a piercing scream, crashing onto the ground.

She scrambled to her feet and grabbed a nearby stick and turned to see what exactly attacked her. She paled at the monster before her. It was a large, hunched-back beast with fangs and bull horns atop its head. Its long tail swished back and forth menacingly.

"Help!" Lucy screamed out. "Somebody please help!"

She couldn't help but feel the effort was futile as the creature suddenly lunged at her. Her reflexes were slow, but she was able to roll out of harm's way. Its claws, however, managed to pierce her shoulders, and she let out a gasp of pain before she dropped to the ground, her legs failing her due to her fear.

The creature lunged again, its mouth wide open and fangs extended, as if it was planning to devour her right then and there. She crossed her arms over her face, her eyes screwed shut. She was absolutely terrified, but if she didn't get her shit together and move, she would die and not be able to return home. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and she found the strength to whack the beast with the heavy stick she picked up earlier.

It howled in pain, but Lucy ignored it and got to her feet and dove into the river, hoping the beast didn't like water. Her breathing was ragged as she saw the beast come back around and growl at her. It was ready to charge, and it wanted to kill her, but it stopped at the bank of the river. However, it had no problem swiping its claws in the water. Because of the velocity and force of the swipes, it generated tidal waves threatening to drown her. She struggled to stay afloat, and she was desperate at this point.

"Stop it!" she yelled, her eyes screwed shut.

Lucy didn't expect anything to happen, but as she yelled, unbeknownst to her, her body glowed a bright gold. She heard a huge splash and felt a spray of...salt water? Lucy slowly opened her eyes to see...a floating mermaid in front of her? Her hair was a long, light blue, her tail a little darker, and she was holding some ancient vase of sorts. Her dark blue eyes, as dark as the ocean, looked over her shoulder and peered back at her.

"Tch, it's you, huh."

Lucy had no idea what that meant, but she somehow knew this ethereal floating mermaid was on her side.

The mermaid turned back around and faced the beast. "So you're the reason why my date was interrupted," she snarled.

The creature could only squeal as the mermaid twirled and let out a huge water attack from her vase. Lucy could only watch as the beast was swept away but a huge tsunami...that came out of the vase?

"What...who are you?" Lucy asked, eyes wide in awe.

"Aquarius."

"Thank you for saving me."

"Whatever."

And just like that, the beautiful mermaid shimmered gold until she disappeared, leaving glittering stardust in the air.

Lucy blinked before she heaved herself up and out to the bank of the river, and strong hands gripped her before she could fall. She heard Gray call out to her.

"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy, are you all right?!" His tone was furious as he gently placed her down. "Shit, it got away..."

She looked into Gray's dark midnight eyes. "What...was that?" she asked weakly.

"Damn Shifter," he spat. "They roam around occasionally..." He cursed. "Where Lisanna? Wasn't she supposed to take you back?"

She grasped his sleeve. "Did you...summon that mermaid?"

He looked at her quizzically. "What are you talking about? When I got here, the Shifter was running away. I didn't do anything."

Confusion muddled her mind. Then who...? Was their a river god living in the river or something? Then a possibility struck her, but it was so crazy that she couldn't believe it. The mermaid, Aquarius, specifically said, _"Tch, it's you, huh."_ Did that mean _she_ summoned her?

Wendy's voice rang in her head: _"It's possible that the cells could mutate further and grow into a supernatural ability, but it's highly unlikely."_

Well, it seemed Lucy was part of the highly unlikely statistic. So...then what kind of ability did she even have? What kind of power gives you the ability to summon a mermaid out of nowhere?

Lucy saw that Gray stood up and tried to track the Shifter's prints. While he was occupied, the blonde inched her way towards the river and looked at her reflection. She put her palm over the water, but nothing happened after a view moments. So, no water affiliation, but maybe...

Her eyes widened in realization and due to her realization, her body began to glow gold. However, as soon as it happened, it was gone. Lucy stared at the water in thought.

Aquarius. She said her name was Aquarius, and she was one of the twelve Zodiacs. She remembered because of the stories her mother used to tell her on their late night walks when she couldn't sleep.

Lucy didn't know what the hell was going on, or if she did anything at all. Even if she did something, she wasn't even sure if summoning a Zodiac or celestial being was supernaturally possible.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Fear not, I have taken over and will finish this before I get back to "Ice Devil's Angel." Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hey folks. Just logged back onto this site on my laptop after a while. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Eight**

 **SCORE!**

* * *

 **8 8 8**

So one might think... Lucy! You have the possible supernatural ability to summon/control celestial beings! How freaking awesome is that?! Go tell somebody and shove it in their faces and brag about it!

Well, Lucy did the exact opposite.

She went back to the palace with Gray and kept her lips sealed about the incident. The thing was, after experimenting in private a bit, she found she could only get herself to glow gold a bit before it shimmered or "powered out" because she really didn't know what to do or what to expect. She felt herself a little frightened about it as well. In reality, she had no idea what in the world was going on. Every time she tried summoning, she felt mentally and physically exhausted even though she summoned nothing at all.

No wonder the job was cut only for gods and goddesses. _I'm only human_ , Lucy found herself bitterly thinking.

The blonde sighed lightly. She didn't want to worry anybody or place attention on herself, so she just let it pass. Besides, everyone was too preoccupied with their godly duties or the politics of the supernatural world to be worried about her.

It was after lunch the next afternoon, and the whole palace was buzzing around. Lucy, on the other hand, was moping around Gray's chambers. Well, she guessed it could be considered hers as well, but she was uncomfortable with the thought and what it implied. Everybody was busy with preparations, but here she was twiddling her thumbs. She fell back on the bed and closed her eyes in boredom.

"God, there's nothing to do..." she sighed in annoyance.

"Well then, maybe you could help me," Gray's voice spoke with the same amount of annoyance.

Lucy lazily opened one eye and saw Gray standing there. His expression was blank, and he had a pile of neatly folded clothes in his hand.

"Sure," Lucy said slowly, standing up. "To relieve this boredom, I'll even help you out. That's how desperate I am." She couldn't help the slight lace of sarcasm in her voice.

Gray glowered at her, but she just shrugged and took the clothes out of his hand. "What can I help you out with?" she prompted.

"You can take those to Lisanna. She should be in the East Annex."

"Oh right, let me just head over there." Lucy rolled her eyes acrimoniously. "You forget, Gray. I'm directionally challenged."

"Is there anything you _can_ do?" he mocked.

Lucy smiled cheekily. "I can annoy you."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you're an expert at that by now."

"You give me tons of opportunities to practice."

"..."

Lucy laughed quietly. "Well, you a- AHH!" She yelped when cold, ice water splashed on her face. She glared at the Ice God. "Cheater! You can't bring supernatural powers into witty banter!"

Gray chuckled and dropped a towel on top of her head. "We didn't establish any rules, did we?" He flashed her a devilish smirk that had her bristling.

Lucy wished she could've summoned that mermaid Aquarius right now to wipe that stupid smirk off his face. Her eyes narrowed, lips curling into a distasteful pout. "That's foul play."

"My apologies, _Lady Heartfilia_ ," Gray bowed, a slight upward tug on his lips.

Lucy smacked his arm. He knew that formalities annoyed her to no end.

"But really," Lucy said, getting back on track. "What can I do? I was so bored that I organized your kimonos."

Gray gave her a strange look. "You what?"

"And I color-coded all of them too," she added proudly.

"That's not something to be proud of," Gray said, raising his brows. "I only have blue kimonos."

Lucy deflated. "But you have different shades..."

Gray shook his head in disbelief. "You really are something," he muttered before giving a short, quiet laugh. "But you're right. I can't keep you cooped up in here." He mused to himself for a moment. "That reminds me actually... My mother wants me to meet some people - some gods and goddesses that came early for the banquet. You can greet them with me."

"But my hair's soaked. I probably look like a mess right now, no thanks to you," Lucy grumbled.

"You look fine to me," he shrugged. "Your hair is already drying. C'mon, they're not too important. Just say hi and smile."

"You really don't understand girls at all," Lucy frowned. "We can't just smile and think we look pretty. We need to get ready. As in change, do my hair, some makeup, etcetera!"

"You're right," Gray deadpanned. "I don't understand." He tugged on her arm. "Let's go."

Lucy protested feebly, but the Ice God's grip was strong, so she was just carried away. They came down the hallway to the very first floor where Lucy could see Mika and three other people standing there.

The first was a tall, thin pale man with round spectacles and curly ginger hair. He carried a sketchbook in one hand, and he wore an all-black kimono with a plain white obi. The second was a just as tall man but with a way more imposing build, and he was dressed in grey and silver robes with a black obi that matched his unruly raven locks. Due to the lighting in the room, Lucy was able to see the piercings studded throughout his face and ears, and his red eyes were intense but looked slightly annoyed by the girl beside him.

As for the girl, she blue hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, and her kimono matched. Lucy blinked, rubbing her eyes, thinking that they were playing tricks on her. The blue-haired girl's kimono seemed to move, such as the churning sea before a storm or the passive, calm waves that touched the shore. She wasn't completely sure which one, but whichever, she didn't care at the moment when she noticed how immediately and excitedly she perked up when Gray stepped into her vision.

"Ah," Mika smiled prettily at her. "You brought Lucy! How wonderful!"

The blue-haired girl frowned as she viewed her in contempt. "Juvia smells a mortal."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek and made sure her face didn't react at all whatsoever but really wanted to roll her eyes into another dimension; however, instead opted for the single eyebrow raise because _really?_ It wasn't even a full thirty seconds, and she was already annoyed by this goddess' presence.

"That may be because I am one," Lucy responded as airily as she could.

The intimidating man beside her grumbled, his voice deep and rough. "Sorry about her." He gestured to the blue woman - Juvia, apparently - who glared at him in return. "I'm Gajeel Redfox, God of Iron," he introduced. "You already met my wife, Levy, the other day."

"Ah, yes," Lucy smiled. "She is absolutely wonderful. Hopefully I get to see more of her?"

He gave her a crooked smile, seeming to like her. "I'll let her know."

"Allow me to introduce myself as well," the tall, thin ginger-haired man spoke. "My name is Reedus Jonah, God of Art." He smiled politely. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lady Lucy."

Lucy felt awkward but nodded in respect with a slight curtsy. "Likewise."

Juvia stepped up and battered her eyelashes at Gray. "Well, Juvia supposes she can introduce herself to Lucy."

The way the goddess spat out her name made her angry, especially without the title. Lucy wasn't one for formalities, but it was a clear sign of disrespect that she even noticed the rest of the gods present were not pleased. The blonde eyed Mika and noticed her tight expression. She was still smiling, but she was clearly not happy with Juvia's behavior.

"Lord Gray already knows Juvia _intimately_ ," she purred, shooting Lucy a smug smile like she was supposed to be jealous or something. "Juvia's full name is Juvia Lockser, Goddess of Water and the perfect match for Lord Gray." She gave Lucy a once over. "Juvia supposed it's nice to meet Lucy."

Mika ignored Juvia's introduction and wrapped a supportive and encouraging arm around Lucy's shoulders. "This is Lucy Heartfilia. She just came to us recently by fate." She smiled and announced, "Gray and her were bonded!"

Juvia's jaw dropped slightly, to Lucy's immense satisfaction, and she spluttered, "Wait, what? Juvia didn't think it was possible! She's a mortal!"

Gajeel grinned and slapped Gray on the back. "Glad to know you won't be spending the rest of your days withering away alone."

"Thanks," Gray responded dryly.

Juvia interjected with a snarl. "She's a mortal! She will age and die!"

"Yes, great way to put things," Lucy commented sarcastically, not able to hold the attitude back any longer.

Mika's eyes hardened at Juvia's harsh words. "Enough. There are ways to turn mortals. You know that Juvia. I know that you might be a tad bit _upset,_ but it is _joyous_ news for me to hear that my son has finally found his match."

Silence hung in the air at the finality and authority in the elder goddess' words. The tensions, however, didn't bother Lucy in the slightest because she was too busy thinking about Mika's words, about turning mortals, and whether the Goddess of Agriculture was already planning for her to turn.

A handmaiden came by with a tray of drinks and whispered into the Goddess of Agriculture's ear.

"I see. Thank you," she muttered and turned back to us. "My apologies, but it seems Reedus, Gajeel, and I have to depart for further complications in tonight's planning. It seems incompetence is contagious." She wrung her hands together and curtsied her leave to Juvia and the rest of us as an apology before leaving with Reedus and Gajeel at her heels.

The handmaiden placed the tray of drinks down before she flitted off.

It was only Juvia, Gray, and Lucy left there standing. Juvia was glaring at Lucy for existing, Lucy was glaring at Gray for making her come, and Gray just stared off into space trying to ignore the tension.

Juvia scoffed under her breath and grabbed a drink from the tray. "So Lucy, has Lord Gray told you about Juvia?"

The blonde's expression and voice remained passive. "No, actually he hasn't."

She snorted. "Maybe Lord Gray didn't want to hurt Lucy's feelings?" she suggested with a wink to Gray, who just grimaced.

"Juvia, stop it," he gritted out.

She swatted him playfully. "Oh c'mon Lord Gray, didn't you tell her about us?"

Lucy's rage was boiling as she continued to take the onslaught of "subtle" jabs. Juvia continued on, flirting one-sidedly with Gray and making light of the fact that I was a mortal.

"Has Lucy tried these delicious fruit cocktails? Juvia supposes you haven't seeing as the mortal world is just so primitive. I can't imagine living in such conditions–"

"What the hell is your problem?" Lucy cut in sharply, no longer able to take it.

Juvia looked over at me wide-eyed.

Gray put a hand on my shoulder. "Save it."

The blonde shrugged him off. "What's your problem?" she repeated, voice like ice, and utterly pissed off.

The Water Goddess had the audacity to feign an innocent look. "Juvia has no idea what you're talking about." Her eyes slid to Gray as she grabbed onto his arm. "Do you, Lord Gray?"

Lucy grit her teeth, deliberating whether she should rip this goddess' hair out or not. She clenched her fists, trying to calm herself. _Ignore her, Lucy._

Juvia giggled. "Aw, the human is getting jealous!"

"Juvia..." Gray's tone was warning.

"Juvia and Lucy are just having some fun."

The Water Goddess stepped closer to her, a vicious smile on her lips. She leaned in to whisper in Lucy's ear. Gray stared at her warily and mouthed, "Ignore her." Lucy threw him a scathing glare because this goddess was now all up in her face and invading her space.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked evenly. She really wanted to shove this woman away, but she wanted to keep things civil. It was a meeting with influential gods and goddesses that she was not willing to disturb. She did not want to mess it up.

Juvia smiled sweetly, too sweetly. "Look, Lucy may think she has some kind of claim to Lord Gray just because she got lucky and bonded to him. But Lucy shouldn't think she is special now."

Gray looked ready to intervene, but Lucy shot him a look and motioned for him to stop. She wanted to hear what the rest of Juvia's crap.

"Go on," Lucy raised a brow.

Juvia's glare intensified. "Juvia really hate mortals," she spat. "And Juvia will personally make sure Lucy belongs to whatever sad village she came from. That is, if Lucy's parents want her back. What kind of parents would allow their child to be sacrificed?" She grinned maliciously. "If Lucy's parents didn't even want her, what makes Lucy think she is welcomed here?"

Rage filled Lucy. She remembered her mother's tears when her name was called. She remember her father's troubled gaze as she walked to the village shaman to be sent to the Ice God. Yes, her parents hadn't stepped in, but it was not there place to interfere with godly matter. Lucy knew that. She knew, but it still hurt. The words of the Water Goddess cut deep because what if she was right. Doubt filled the blonde, but she shook it off as it began to eat her from the inside. Lucy thought about walking away at that moment. She really did, but she didn't. Instead, she did the one thing she wanted to do more than anything in the world in that moment.

Lucy punched her square in the jaw, eliciting a satisfying shriek as Juvia fell backwards onto the floor. She held her jaw, whimpering in pain. Gray stood to the side, arms crossed and a small, crooked smile on his face, as if he couldn't have handled it better.

The blonde shot him a triumphant grin and walked away from Juvia.

Ohhhh yeahhh, score one for Lucy Heartfilia.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hey guys. I can see y'all want more of "Ice Devil's Angel," which makes me happy to hear. However, to get back into the groove of things, I've been given a golden opportunity by none other than the famous GraLu author, LadySVI, to take on her story "Bride of the Ice God," which originally belongs to the author writer4everr.**_

 _ **The reason Lady-san abandoned it was because her idea of where it should've gone didn't match with the plot of what writer4everr had and decided to pass it on to me to publish. So, that's what I'll be doing for the next couple of months for you guys while I try to re-establish my ideas and outline with "Ice Devil's Angel."**_

 _ **Anyway! Hope everyone is doing well!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character. I do not own this plot. This plot belongs to writer4everr.**_

* * *

 **Bride of the Ice God**

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Tacos and Blushing Blondes**

* * *

 **9 9 9**

Gray didn't really know how he felt about Lucy. But at that moment, he was half annoyed and half pleased, especially with how she dealt with Juvia. Not that he really showed it or anything, but he couldn't help but feel slightly amused.

He was mostly annoyed because Juvia was a sobbing mess on the ground, and Lucy had him to clean up after her. Another note to make was that when Juvia cried, she cried _rivers_. The palace floor was starting to fill up, and he frowned when he found himself in a giant puddle or rather a mini lake.

Gray rolled his eyes as Juvia continued to bawl loudly, attracting unwanted attention from handmaidens. "Juvia," he addressed impatiently. "She's human and you're a goddess, meaning you have supernatural endurance. Don't act like that actually hurt." He secretly wished it did though.

Her eyes widened in hurt. "Why is Lord Gray criticizing Juvia? She's the one that got violent!" she wailed.

He scowled. "It was justified. And what were you so mad and petty about? Lucy didn't do anything."

She glared. "Don't play dumb, Lord Gray. Lady Mika was planning to wed us. If Lucy hadn't showed, Juvia and Lord Gray could've been together!" she complained.

Gray sighed exasperatedly, not believing Juvia could be so mad about that. From now on, he would be a bit nicer to Lucy. She saved him from an eternity with Juvia or at least a few decades because he probably would've gone insane and sent him away.

"Well, Juvia, I'll be on my way," he dismissed himself, feeling a mild headache developing.

He walked away without looking back and headed up the stairs to find where Lucy disappeared to. The Ice God knew where she was. They were bonded and that gave him a sixth sense to know where she was. She probably didn't know she had it too, but since he was a god, he was more attuned to things like that.

Gray found her sitting on the steps waiting for him.

"Took you forever," she remarked casually. "Did it take long to comfort her?" She stood, wiping off imaginary dust. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

He chuckled. "No, you're not."

"Really?" she asked with widened eyes.

"Really. It was justified."

"So..." Lucy started. "She pretty much hates me because we're bonded, right."

"The fact that you're also mortal kind of rubs salt in the wound," Gray added. "Also, my mom really, really likes you and dropped Juvia as a possible match for me." He glanced at her. "For that, I owe you one."

She gave him a hesitant, light smile. It didn't really reach her eyes. "Did you guys...do anything?" she finally asked, eyes on the ground.

He raised a brow, smirking. "Why? You jealous?" he teased.

She glared. "Not a chance, Fullbuster! It was out of curiosity!" she defended herself.

He shrugged. "If it puts your jealous mind at ease, we never did anything. Juvia was BSing the whole thing. Things go on in that delusional mind of hers."

"Okay," Lucy nodded stiffly. "One more question."

"One more answer."

She swallowed thickly, looking slightly more pale than usual. "Do you think..." She bit her lip, worry crossing her delicate features. "Do you think I'll have to be turned?"

"Is that what you're scared about?" he asked softly. "You don't want to stay here? You want to go back to your family?"

"I–I..." She was a loss for words. "I don't know if I can. What...What if Juvia was right? Maybe–"

He had to cut her off. She looked so broken in that moment, trembling with quiet sobs and her doe eyes brimming with tears. He had forgotten how scared she had actually been and that her strong front was just an act. She was in a foreign world and was an outsider dealing with mortal prejudice. She was lonely: she needed someone. So he found himself wrapping her small frame in his arms.

"Stop," Gray growled lowly. "Don't let Juvia's words make you doubt your feelings towards your family."

In that moment, Lucy let go of all her pent up frustration. She was silent, but the slight wracking of her body and the wet tears on his shoulders told him she was crying. Her hands clutched onto him as if he would disappear at any moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, letting go of him. "I don't know what that was..." She rubbed her eyes and sniffled. "I don't usually lose myself like that."

"Lucy, it's fine."

"Okay," she breathed.

"You don't have to act strong all the time," he found himself saying before he could stop himself. "It's not good to keep it all pent up. The more you let it out, the less you cry on my shoulder and cover me in snot," he finished, hoping to cheer her up a bit.

She gave a teary smile.

 _That's better_ , Gray thought.

"I think it's an improvement, really," she retorted.

"C'mon," he grabbed her shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up. It's almost time for Sherry to do your fitting. She'll bite my head off if she sees your with red and swollen eyes."

Lucy stopped for a second, smiling warmly at him.

He blinked, confused, as his heart did a weird skip.

"You know," she began. "Gray, you're really not that bad. I thought you were a conceited, cocky jerk–"

"Thanks," he said dryly.

"Let me finished," she huffed. Seeing that he wouldn't interrupt her again, she continued. "You're kind of like a taco."

His eyebrow twitched. "A...taco?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, a taco."

"I'm starting to like you're first impression of me better," he responded unsurely with no clue as to where Lucy was going with her analogy. One moment she was crying on his shoulder, the next she was comparing him to some mortal food.

"No, you're definitely a taco," she decided eagerly. "You have a hard shell around you, but once bite in there's a great mix of sour cream, lettuce, cheese, pico, and beef!"

"God, you're strange, Heartfilia," Gray shook his head. "All right, let's go before you start comparing me with an eggplant or pumpkin or something."

She laughed but dutifully followed the Ice God.

It occurred to him that he didn't really mind having her around.

 **9 9 9**

Lucy decided that while Sherry was the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she could be scary when she wanted to. She was terrifying when she eyed her like a hawk, her piercing blue eyes seeming to dig into her very soul. She grabbed me by the hand and shooed Gray away with just a wave of her hand and closed the door to her seamstress boutique.

The goddess tilted her head left and right. "Darling, what happened to your face?" Her eyes narrowed. "Did Lord Gray make you cry?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no," Lucy shook her head. "Not at all. He was the one who cheered me up."

Sherry's dark look completely switched to a lovely smile. "Good, because I was going to give him a piece of my mind."

"No need," Lucy smiled back, slightly unnerved by the quick switch.

"Well, let's begin."

As Sherry started with makeup, Lucy sat wondering how if she would be accepted by the legions of gods tonight at the banquet. She wondered when exactly she'd be turned into an immortal. Staying here didn't seem as terrible as she initially thought it would be. She had Cana, Erza, Lisanna, Natsu, Levy, and even Gray. Her cheeks warmed as the Ice God crossed her mind. Either Sherry decided not to notice or she was too busy doing her makeup to ask, but Lucy was grateful anyway.

Moments later, her make-up perfectly and naturally done, her nails were groomed and painted a beautiful lavender to match her kimono. With a snap of Sherry's fingers, Lucy was already dressed in her robes for the banquet.

The goddess smiled. "What do you think?"

Lucy looked up to see her own reflection. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "That's...me?"

"Yes, lovely, that is you," Sherry laughed.

"It's like...you took an ugly ducking and turned it into a swan."

"Nonsense, you're already beautiful. I just accentuated it."

"Thank you..."

"Of course, lovely." Sherry stood up. "Now it's my turn to get ready. You can sit and wait here for Erza to come get you."

"Oh, okay."

Lucy watched the pink-haired goddess disappear and stood frozen for a couple seconds as she looked at herself once more.

In the full-length mirror before her, Lucy saw another woman, someone regal, someone elegant, someone fit to be a goddess. Her long golden tressed were beautifully braided into a bun and held by shiny ornaments that looked like it costed more than her life. She had a few strands framing her face. Her makeup wasn't overdone, it was a completely natural look. The kimono was absolutely gorgeous – a soft lavender with different shades of darker purple blossoms adorning the gown. In the lighting, it seemed as if they were flitting around, almost like she was gliding in the wind. The final touch was the obi. It was a rich, dark purple and helped show off her shapely hips.

"Wow, you look amazing!" a familiar voice complimented.

Lucy turned around to see none other than Erza. Her scarlet hair was pinned up with ornaments as well, a white rose behind one of her ears. As for the kimono she wore, it was different shades of red with gold, the obi a simple white. Her trusty snow white owl was perched on her shoulder, looking well groomed for the occasion as well. Overall, the Goddess of War and Wisdom looked absolutely gorgeous.

"You nervous?" she asked.

"Not really," Lucy pursed her lips. "After punching Juvia, I don't think I could possibly screw up the evening even more than I already have."

Erza's eyes glimmered in amusement. "Yes, I've heard. Way to stand up for yourself."

Lucy gave a shaky laugh. "Haha, thank you?"

The War Goddess' wise eyes pierced through her soul. Nervous, Lucy couldn't help but take a step back under the scrutinizing gaze.

"Uh, Erza?"

"I saw you."

Lucy blinked, confused. "You...saw?"

"I saw you practicing," Erza clarified. "Your mutation cells grew, didn't it?"

The blonde paled, her blood running cold. So much for keeping it on the down low. "Please don't say anything."

"I won't. Only wanted to confirm what I saw," she said. "I've never seen anything like it."

Lucy sighed, plopping onto the couch. "I have no idea what it is."

"Well, be careful," Erza warned. "You never know who's watching."

The tension in the air was broken when Sherry walked in – well, more like floated in – ready to go. Her kimono was the same color as her eyes with other varying shades of blue and white with a navy obi wrapped around her waist. She looked like the goddess she was.

"All right," she clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's drop you off with Gray!"

Lucy panicked. "Gray? Why can't I just go with you guys?"

"Oh, hush," Erza scoffed.

They walked outside, Lucy wobbling a bit from her nerves. The blonde's breath caught in her throat as she saw Gray standing at the end of the hallway waiting for her. She tried to appear calm, but the Ice God was not making it any easier. He had the same half-irritated, half-bored expression on his gorgeous face, wearing a deep indigo kimono and a violet cord wrapped around his waist, the same color as her kimono. He caught sight of her and his mouth slightly lifted at the sides.

"I see Sherry enjoyed dolling you up," Gray observed, offering his arm to her. "You look nice."

Lucy gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Why, thank you." She gestured to his violet cord. "I see you tried adding some color to your wardrobe."

"Well, Sherry told me the color you were going to wear, and I decided to coordinate," he explained, looking down at himself. "It doesn't look weird, does it?" he asked with a quirked brow.

She laughed, smiling genuinely this time. "No, you look good. Promise."

They gazed at one another for a moment before Lucy looked away in nervousness. Her stomach was doing somersaults because in less than a minute she was going to greet a whole crowd of gods.

Gray seemed to sense her nerves. "You'll be fine. You look beautiful," he said. He wasn't looking at her when he said it, but his words rang with sincerity.

He proceeded to walk, and Lucy followed in silence.

She managed to compose her face other than the evident blush dusting her cheeks.

* * *

 _ **Hope this brings back some hope to some fans who thought this was gone forever. Sorry if it wasn't as good as Lady-san's own personal style to it, but I'll just get this out for you guys.**_

 _ **Have a nice day :)**_


End file.
